Hurrah finally

https://calbears.com/news/2018/7/16/athletics-news-new-facilities-planned-for-softball-beach-volleyball.aspx

OBear073akaSMFan said:

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Hurrah finally

https://calbears.com/news/2018/7/16/athletics-news-new-facilities-planned-for-softball-beach-volleyball.aspx

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Quote:

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BERKELEY Cal's softball and beach volleyball programs will soon have new facilities under a plan announced by Chancellor Carol Christ Monday afternoon.

The improvements will create an upgraded softball field and beach volleyball courts that meet current standards and provide practice and competition space to allow these programs to continue at the elite level.

For softball, the field will be flipped in orientation and enlarged, with the new home plate area near the current left field foul pole. In addition, it will include expanded permanent seating, covered batting cages, locker rooms, a video board, restrooms, field lighting and an elevated press box, among other amenities. Once completed, the softball facility will meet field dimension standards, and Cal will be able to host NCAA Tournament games, something the team is unable to do presently.

The beach volleyball facility will remain on the Clark Kerr Campus, moving to a new location near the intersection of Sports Lane and Dwight Way, and will feature four sand courts, as well as permanent spectator seating, restrooms and a scoreboard. Beach volleyball currently has two courts available with no additional permanent amenities.

"I am pleased that we are embarking on new facilities for our softball and beach volleyball programs, bringing them up to modern standards that will benefit our student-athletes, their fans and our intercollegiate athletics program as a whole," Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton said. "Providing equitable facilities for all our student-athletes is essential for us as a university and as a department in order to maintain our commitment to gender equity and the requirements of Title IX that support and protect that essential value. I want to thank Chancellor Christ for her leadership and help identifying funding to help make these projects possible. While we are in the very early stages of a related fundraising campaign, I am already impressed by the interest and enthusiasm I am seeing from our alumni, who have already contributed a pair of six-figure pledges."

Said softball coach Diane Ninemire: "I am extremely excited for Cal softball and the opportunities a new facility will bring to our program, and I know our players are going to be thrilled. This will help ensure a bright future for us, and I know that student-athletes will see it as a stadium that will allow them to excel on and off the field. Just as important, the facility will put us in position to host NCAA regional games that would give us a home-field advantage. I am very appreciative of the Chancellor, our Athletic Director Jim Knowlton and others within our department who have worked so hard to make this possible."

"The addition of a new facility will positively impact every aspect of our program," beach volleyball coach Meagan Owusu said. "We are thankful for the campus giving us this opportunity. Cal beach volleyball has continued to grow every year, and a new facility will give our student-athletes an environment in which they can flourish."

Before construction begins, each project must be reviewed by the campus and receive budget, design and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) approvals. The review process will occur during the fall of 2018 and campus approvals are anticipated by January 2019. Assuming all remains on schedule, construction is expected to begin in spring or summer of 2019, with work on the volleyball facility estimated to take one year and 15 months estimated for softball.

No state funding or student tuition will be used to finance the projects, Christ said. Instead, the campus will draw from what are known as "undesignated bequests" to cover the majority of the costs, with the athletic department embarking on a capital campaign to raise additional funds.

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Wonderful! Now- when will Cal get a coach that can remotely act as a hitting specialist and/or teach any form of offense? Go Bears!

Plot twist- you can't host a regional if you finish 7th to 9th in conference play, even with a new beautiful stadium!

Wondering if what little parking that was in the outfield and next to the strawberry swimming facility, will they be eliminated? These were the prefer parking for the coaches & the ballplayer's parents. Like to see the Preliminary drawing of what the facility will look like.

Christ is very transparent, I like it.

Planning? I thought this had plans & drawings for at least 20-25 years. I guess neighbors are fine with new lighting and night games. I thought that was one of the holdups. Or was that all BS.

I'm happy to finally see a new facility before the school got litigated.

calfan2011 said:

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Planning? I thought this had plans & drawings for at least 20-25 years. I guess neighbors are fine with new lighting and night games. I thought that was one of the holdups. Or was that all BS.

I'm happy to finally see a new facility before the school got litigated.

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Pretty sure it was mostly money.

Yes, money always helps, But how the money is allocated.

It would be great to see some drawings of the proposed facility