The headline at the University of California's Berkeley campus this fall is: Baseball Strikes Out. But in making hard decisions to benefit higher education, and perhaps to influence the thinking of administrators across the nation, Berkeley has hit a home run.
Although not the first large school to eliminate a major sport due to financial pressures - and certainly not the last - the decision by Cal to drop its 118-year-old baseball program along with four other varsity sports, for an immediate savings of $4 million, has brought the controversy over the cost of college athletics into sharp focus.
kAmtI@C3:E2?E 6IA6?5:EFC6D 7@C 4@==686 DA@CED[ H9:=6 8C@H:?8 D42?52=@FD=J 7@C >2?J J62CD[ 2C6 364@>:?8 :?E@=6C23=6 2E 2 E:>6 H96? EF:E:@?D 2C6 4=:>3:?8 2?5 4=2DD6D 2C6 36:?8 4FE]k^Am
Recommended for you
NEXTÂ surveyed 1,500 small business owners aged 18-64 across industries and regions in late October and November 2024 to share findings about how economic factors are shaping business in the new year. Click for more.73% of small business owners optimistic about 2025 economy
kAm~G6C E96 DF>>6C[ 2 C6A@CE 3J 2 A2?6= @7 E62496CD 2?5 2=F>?: 4@?4=F565 E92E q6C<6=6JVD DA@CED 7:?2?46D H6C6 Q@FE @7 4@?EC@=[Q ?@E:?8 E92E :? ;FDE E96 =2DE E9C66 J62CD[ 567:4:E DA6?5:?8 @? DA@CED C@D6 7C@> Sf]c >:==:@? E@ S`a]` >:==:@?] %96 C6A@CE ?@E @?=J C64@>>6?565 6=:>:?2E:?8 D@>6 E62>D 2E r2=[ 3FE 2=D@ FC865 2 ?2E:@?H:56 AFD9 E@ C67@C> DA6?5:?8 @? 3:8\E:>6 4@==686 DA@CED]k^Am
kAm$F49 C67@C>D H:== ?@E 36 62DJ 3642FD6 E96 >2;@C:EJ @7 p>6C:42?D[ :?4=F5:?8 >2?J H62=E9J 5@?@CD[ 4=:?8 E@ E96 ?@E:@? E92E 2E9=6E:4D 2C6 :?E68C2= E@ E96 492C24E6C 2?5 6DE66> @7 4@==686D 2?5 F?:G6CD:E:6D] $A@CED H:E9 E96 9:896DE AC@7:=6D \ A2CE:4F=2C=J 7@@E32== 2?5 32D<6E32== \ 92G6 364@>6 DF49 >2>>@E9 3FD:?6DD6D E92E DECF4EFC2= 492?86D 2C6 2=>@DE >@C6 52F?E:?8 7@C 25>:?:DEC2E@CD E92? :>AC@G6>6?ED E@ E96 65F42E:@? AC@46DD :ED6=7] (9@ 4@F=5 92G6 :>28:?65 ;FDE 2 76H J62CD 28@ E92E E96 32D<6E32== 4@2496D 2E sF<6 2?5 {@F:DG:==6 H@F=5 ?@H 36 62C?:?8 @G6C Sc >:==:@? 2 J62Cnk^Am
kAmqFE 6G6? E96 =2C86DE D49@@=D H:E9 E96 >@DE DF446DD7F= 2E9=6E:4 AC@8C2>D 2C6 7:?5:?8 E92E E96 ?F>36CD ?@ =@?86C 255 FA] u@C 6I2>A=6[ |:49:82? $E2E6VD Sg` >:==:@? DA@CED 3F586E =2DE J62C C6BF:C65 ?62C=J Sc >:==:@? :? D49@@= DF3D:5:6D] p44@C5:?8 E@ 2 AF3=:D965 C6A@CE[ s:G:D:@? ` AF3=:4 D49@@=D 56A6?5 @? S`]g 3:==:@? :? DF3D:5:6D 2?5 DEF56?E 766D]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@46DD @7 E24<:?8 Q2E9=6E:4 766DQ @?E@ DEF56?EDV 3:==D[ :? D@>6 42D6D 2D >F49 2D S`[___ 2 J62C[ :D C:D:?8 2E 2? 2=2C>:?8 C2E6] pD 2 7:CDE DE6A E@ 4FC3 E9:D AC24E:46[ %96 w:896C t5F42E:@? ~AA@CEF?:EJ p4E @7 a__g C6BF:C6D D49@@=D E@ C6A@CE D6A2C2E6 7:8FC6D 7@C EF:E:@? 2?5 766D]k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 6?@C>@FD AC6DDFC6 7C@> A@H6C7F= 2=F>D H9@ 36=:6G6 D49@@= AC6DE:86 :D >62DFC65[ 2E =62DE :? A2CE[ 3J G:4E@C:6D :? DA@CED[ E96 ?2E:@?2= EC6?5 :? 255:?8 DA@CED E62>D 92D 7:?2==J C6G6CD65] |x% 4FE 6:89E E62>D =2DE J62C \ :?4=F5:?8 8@=7[ p=A:?6 D<::?8[ 9@4<6J 2?5 8J>?2DE:4Dj E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 (2D9:?8E@? D2G65 S`]a 3J 5C@AA:?8 :ED DH:> E62>j E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |2:?6 6=:>:?2E65 >6?VD D@446C 2?5 H@>6?VD G@==6J32==]k^Am
kAmqFE DF49 4FED 32C6=J D4C2E49 E96 DFC7246 \ :? @G6C2== 3F586ED[ 2D H6== 2D :? E96 >:?5D6E @7 DA@CED DFAA@CE6CD] #646?E=J x D2E :? @? 2 5:D4FDD:@? H:E9 {66 #665[ E96 ?6H 2E9=6E:4 5:C64E@C 2E v6@C86E@H? &?:G6CD:EJ[ H9:49 @A6C2E6D ah DA@CED E62>D] #665 H2D 2D<65 A@:?E65=J H9J 2E 2 E:>6 @7 C:D:?8 EF:E:@? E96 D49@@= 4@?E:?F6D E@ DF3D:5:K6 :ED 7@@E32== E62>[ H9:49[ F?=:<6 E96 9:89 AC@7:=6 w@J2 32D<6E32== DBF25[ :D 2 A6C6??:2= =@D6C 3@E9 @? E96 7:6=5 2?5 2E E96 32?<]k^Am
kAmw:D 2?DH6C H2D 42?5:5 2?5 6?=:89E6?:?8i Q%96 2=F>?: :?D:DE H6 92G6 2 7@@E32== E62>]Q (96? AC6DD65[ #665 D2:5 96 H2D E2<:?8 DE6AD E@ >2<6 E96 7@@E32== E62> >@C6 4@>A6E:E:G6 \ 2D :7 E92E D9@F=5 92G6 2?JE9:?8 E@ 5@ H:E9 E96 H6:89ED 2?5 >62DFC6D @7 3F586E:?8 7@C 9:896C 65F42E:@?]k^Am
kAmpD @?6 H9@ =@G6D DA@CED 2?5 C@@ED A2DD:@?2E6=J 7@C >J 72G@C:E6 E62>D[ x C62=:K6 9@H A2:?7F= :E :D 7@C D49@@=D E@ 6G6? 4@?D:56C 5:D4@?E:?F:?8 >2;@C AC@8C2>D] x? 2? 65:E@C:2= 7@==@H:?8 E96 4FED 2E q6C<6=6J[ %96 s2:=J r2=:7@C?:2? DEF56?E ?6HDA2A6C HC@E6i QxE :D F?72:C 2?5 F?7@CEF?2E6 E92E J62CD @7 >:D>2?286>6?E 92G6 J:6=565 E9:D 4@?D6BF6?46[Q 255:?8[ Q:E :D ?@H E96 25>:?:DEC2E:@?VD C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ E@ ]]] >2<6 DFC6 E96D6 4FED H6C6 ?@E >256 :? G2:?]Qk^Am
kAmu2465 H:E9 C:D:?8 EF:E:@? 2?5 D=F>A:?8 6?5@H>6?ED[ E96 ?2E:@?VD 4@==686D 2?5 F?:G6CD:E:6D >FDE 24E BF:4<=J E@ 4@CC64E E96 7:?2?4:2= 5C2:? 7C@> 4@==68:2E6 DA@CED] #65F4:?8 4@249:?8 D2=2C:6D H@F=5 96=A[ 2D H@F=5 6=:>:?2E:?8 DEF56?EDV 766D FD65 E@ AC@A FA =@D:?8 DA@CED G6?EFC6D]k^Am
kAmqFE :? E96 6?5[ 2 >2;@C C62DD6DD>6?E @7 H96C6 4@>A6E:E:G6 DA@CED 7:ED H:E9:? E96 =2C86C A:4EFC6 @7 9:896C 65F42E:@? >2J 36 ?646DD2CJ] %96 32EE=6 E@ >2<6 4@==686D >@C6 67764E:G6 2?5 277@C523=6 42?VE 36 H@? @? E96 32== 7:6=5[ 3FE E92EVD @?6 2C62 H96C6 E96 82>6 :D 36:?8 =@DE]k^Am
kAm!6E6C uF?E :D 2 HC:E6C 2?5 AF3=:4 DA62<6Cj 96 >2J 36 C624965 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]r2?5:5r2>6C2]4@>QmHHH]r2?5:5r2>6C2]4@>k^2m] w6VD 2=D@ E96 =@?8\E:>6 9@DE @7 Qr2?5:5 r2>6C2]Q %9:D 4@=F>? :D 5:DEC:3FE65 6I4=FD:G6=J 3J r28=6 r2CE@@?D[ x?4][ ?6HDA2A6C DJ?5:42E6]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.