Fresno State on Friday introduced new AD Jim Bartko, who “touched on a percolating 100-day plan that’s focused on elevating a department trying to rebound from years of declining revenues and budget cuts that has left it behind many Mountain West Conference rivals in key infrastructure areas,” according to Robert Kuwada of the FRESNO BEE. Bartko: “Let’s dominate this conference. Let’s elevate this community academically. We need to raise more money, need to get the facilities involved. We have a great leadership team here. … I didn’t leave Oregon just to be satisfied. I’m going to work my tail off to be the best -- and that’s what the goal should be.” Bartko, who previously served as Oregon Exec Senior Associate AD/Development, “will start on Jan. 1 with a five-year contract worth $290,000 per year plus performance bonuses.” He has “spent almost all of his 26 years in athletics administration at Oregon, raising more than” $375M for “capital improvements and facilities enhancements.” Bartko also “developed and implemented the Athletic Legacy Fund,” which has created a $140M endowment, “and managed the Duck Athletic Fund,” where annual giving increased from $15.3M in ’08 to $19.3M in ’11 (FRESNO BEE, 11/22).
