Cal baseball had not been officially granted full reinstatement as an intercollegiate sport, but had been provided provincial status after raising nine of the ten million dollars necessary. With Cal fast closing in on that ten million dollar mark (currently 9.7 million), Chancellor Robert Birgeneau made the inevitable announcement: Cal baseball is back for real. Herb Benenson at Cal Media Relations released this announcement.
"As the semester ends and this baseball season wraps up, I want everyone to know that Cal baseball is formally reinstated," he [Cal chancellor Robert Birgeneau] said. "While we are still just short of the $10 million goal, the fundraising has been so successful that I have no doubt it will soon reach and, indeed, surpass that target."
Along with game day and special event revenues, the fulfillment of these pledges will cover baseball’s direct and indirect costs for the next 7-10 years, allowing sufficient time for the campus and members of the baseball donor community to develop a long-term plan that will financially sustain the team.
Cal has had quite a road this season. First they thought the program was gone. Then they rallied to get the funding needed to survive. Then they scrapped their way to the NCAA Tournament. Then they rallied from an incredible deficit against Baylor to win their Regional. And now after a sweep of Dallas Baptist, they're a few wins away from potentially competing for a national championship. Who says you can't turn an obstacle into an opportunity?
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