Cal Looks To Balance Athletic Department's Budget, May Remove Some Sports

The Univ. of California administration left for the holiday break "without any resolution on balancing the athletics department’s budget, and suggestions on how to rescue its programs might not come anytime soon," according to Rusty Simmons of the S.F. CHRONICLE. Cal Chancellor Nicholas Dirks said that the school’s Task Force on Intercollegiate Athletics, which was "supposed to present proposals in January, made it clear that an extension is needed." Simmons noted Cal is losing approximately $20M annually on athletics, and the numbers "could get worse." Many observers "believe the department will eliminate some sports." Cal in '10 attempted to cut several sports -- including baseball, gymnastics, rugby and lacrosse -- in an effort to balance the budget, but those sports were "saved by fundraising." However, that "may no longer be possible." Cal is "trying to operate with 30 sports, more than twice the NCAA minimum of 14, while meeting Title IX regulations" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 12/24).