Cal AD Mike Williams said the athletic department's 30-sport model is "not sustainable" as it currently exists, according to Rusty Simmons of the S.F. CHRONICLE. Williams recently discussed the state of the university's sports program and its "path forward in the face of mounting debt." Williams said, "We want to continue winning championships in the places that we’ve always done that. We want to boost the teams that are almost there to that level. And, we have to have winning football and men’s basketball programs. We cannot get the revenue sports wrong." Cal has had to fill head coaching vacancies for its football and men's basketball teams in recent months, something Williams said he "didn't expect" to have to do twice in Q1 '17. In Cal's 28 other sports, Williams said, "You never hear about entrance requirements. ... If you can embrace the culture, you can find the right kids." Williams: "We should be offering the opportunity to as many student-athletes as possible, but we’re going to have to find a way to make this model work." On the challenges facing the athletics department, Williams said, "What people think this job is isn’t really what this job is. It’s great. The opportunity to be around some of the smartest and most talented 18- to 20-year-olds on the planet on an everyday basis is extraordinary. ... We also have a very passionate fan base. Sometimes it’s trying to figure out which way the passion wind is blowing, but we have a very, very passionate fan base" (
S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/9).
