Story Poster
Photo by Bear Insider
Cal Basketball

Knowlton Retires - A New Hope

June 17, 2025
2,169

In today's podcast, former Cal and professional center and Bear Insider commentator Rod Benson talks about the retirement of AD Jim Knowlton and the opportunities it presents to the athletic programs and former player engagement.

Click here to listen on Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or on many of your favorite podcast services.

Discussion from...

Knowlton Retires - A New Hope

1,938 Views | 10 Replies | Last: 2 days ago by barsad
oskidunker
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
2:22p, 6/17/25
Thoughts on who a basketball ceo might be?
Reply Quote
1
RodBenson
User Profile
Private Message
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
4:17p, 6/17/25
Staff
Right now I have no idea. Really starting from scratch here
Reply Quote
1
oskidunker
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to RodBenson • 4:45p, 6/17/25
RodBenson said:
Right now I have no idea. Really starting from scratch here


Maybe Jason Kidd or Shareef.
Reply Quote
1
bearsandgiants
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
4:56p, 6/17/25
Someone like that would be incredible. Maybe they stick with it for 5-10 years and Jaylen brown takes over next.
Reply Quote
1
stu
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
6:31p, 6/17/25
Maybe even Athletic Director is beneath Jason and Shareef
Reply Quote
2
calumnus
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to stu • 11:54p, 6/17/25
stu said:
Maybe even Athletic Director is beneath Jason and Shareef


Same could be said about Rivera. He is far and away the most accomplished and most impressive coach on Cal's payroll.

If Jason Kidd came back to Cal (as he has hinted at in the past) I don't see why you wouldn't have Jason Kidd as your coach with someone else as manager.
Reply Quote
2
3 edits
barsad
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to calumnus • 11:04a, 6/18/25
What's the skinny on how long the AD search will take and what candidates are being considered? Are one or both of the two Dep ADs going to apply, and if this takes months, who will be calling the shots during the 25-26 basketball season?
Reply Quote
1
calumnus
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
2:58p, 6/18/25
Rod, I agree with you you 100% about the need to bring Cal grads (smart, passionate about Cal and understand Cal and the appeal of Cal) back to run things. Moreover, I think we need to bring back one or more of the many Cal grads in professional sports management. College (revenue) sports is not what it was. It is a business and needs to be run like a business. Given the stitution Cal is now in (reduced ACC payments at a time of massive reductions in Federal spending on education and research with Cal a target, plus the need to pay athletes under the House settlement), Cal needs to develop other revenue sources FAST.

One is increased donations and as you said, Cal alums are going to be best at getting Cal alums to give money. We already see it with Rivera in football.

However, the other huge opportunity is the departure of the Raiders, A's (and to a certain extent the Warriors) from the East Bay has left a vacuum that the California Golden Bears could fill. Cal basketball at Haas has better BART access than any other sports team or even venue in the Bay Area. Downtown Berkeley has lots of parking and is a great spot for dinner or drinks before or after a game. A full stadium helps lead to wins (and vice versa). TV wants in person crowds. Cal alums know what our student section can be. With UCLA and USC in the B1G and no longer our rival we have the opportunity to build the "California" brand throughout the state, maybe not as everyone's first team, but as a second or third team they root for and will watch on television. It requires exciting play, preferably stars from the Bay Area and SoCal, which is best accomplished with coaches from those places. We need the energy and creativity of the Calgorithm. Embrace being a bastion of liberalism, it is our brand. We can attract fans in places like Atlanta where we landed top recruits like Shareef and Jaylen Brown. If our liberal image makes a lot of people tune into our games to root against us, that only increases our ratings.

The departure of Knowlton may be an opportunity to outsource the revenue sports to a Cal alum run non-profit that would manage and market the team, employ the coaches and players, replace the Learfield contract and hire on-air personalities and manage the game day environment. The new entity could borrow money against future revenues (our eventual full ACC share) and donations would earn voting shares, garnering more donations (which could be tax deductible as all profits are donated to the university).
Reply Quote
4
socaltownie
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to calumnus • 9:49a, 6/19/25
calumnus said:
Rod, I agree with you you 100% about the need to bring Cal grads (smart, passionate about Cal and understand Cal and the appeal of Cal) back to run things. Moreover, I think we need to bring back one or more of the many Cal grads in professional sports management. College (revenue) sports is not what it was. It is a business and needs to be run like a business. Given the stitution Cal is now in (reduced ACC payments at a time of massive reductions in Federal spending on education and research with Cal a target, plus the need to pay athletes under the House settlement), Cal needs to develop other revenue sources FAST.

One is increased donations and as you said, Cal alums are going to be best at getting Cal alums to give money. We already see it with Rivera in football.

However, the other huge opportunity is the departure of the Raiders, A's (and to a certain extent the Warriors) from the East Bay has left a vacuum that the California Golden Bears could fill. Cal basketball at Haas has better BART access than any other sports team or even venue in the Bay Area. Downtown Berkeley has lots of parking and is a great spot for dinner or drinks before or after a game. A full stadium helps lead to wins (and vice versa). TV wants in person crowds. Cal alums know what our student section can be. With UCLA and USC in the B1G and no longer our rival we have the opportunity to build the "California" brand throughout the state, maybe not as everyone's first team, but as a second or third team they root for and will watch on television. It requires exciting play, preferably stars from the Bay Area and SoCal, which is best accomplished with coaches from those places. We need the energy and creativity of the Calgorithm. Embrace being a bastion of liberalism, it is our brand. We can attract fans in places like Atlanta where we landed top recruits like Shareef and Jaylen Brown. If our liberal image makes a lot of people tune into our games to root against us, that only increases our ratings.

The departure of Knowlton may be an opportunity to outsource the revenue sports to a Cal alum run non-profit that would manage and market the team, employ the coaches and players, replace the Learfield contract and hire on-air personalities and manage the game day environment. The new entity could borrow money against future revenues (our eventual full ACC share) and donations would earn voting shares, garnering more donations (which could be tax deductible as all profits are donated to the university).
This.

My own pick for GM and chief fundraiser (and yes, I know there would be controversy in the PC world of Cal) would be Kevin Johnson.
Reply Quote
2
barsad
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to calumnus • 12:07a, 6/20/25
calumnus said:
Rod, I agree with you you 100% about the need to bring Cal grads (smart, passionate about Cal and understand Cal and the appeal of Cal) back to run things. Moreover, I think we need to bring back one or more of the many Cal grads in professional sports management. College (revenue) sports is not what it was. It is a business and needs to be run like a business. Given the stitution Cal is now in (reduced ACC payments at a time of massive reductions in Federal spending on education and research with Cal a target, plus the need to pay athletes under the House settlement), Cal needs to develop other revenue sources FAST.

One is increased donations and as you said, Cal alums are going to be best at getting Cal alums to give money. We already see it with Rivera in football.

However, the other huge opportunity is the departure of the Raiders, A's (and to a certain extent the Warriors) from the East Bay has left a vacuum that the California Golden Bears could fill. Cal basketball at Haas has better BART access than any other sports team or even venue in the Bay Area. Downtown Berkeley has lots of parking and is a great spot for dinner or drinks before or after a game. A full stadium helps lead to wins (and vice versa). TV wants in person crowds. Cal alums know what our student section can be. With UCLA and USC in the B1G and no longer our rival we have the opportunity to build the "California" brand throughout the state, maybe not as everyone's first team, but as a second or third team they root for and will watch on television. It requires exciting play, preferably stars from the Bay Area and SoCal, which is best accomplished with coaches from those places. We need the energy and creativity of the Calgorithm. Embrace being a bastion of liberalism, it is our brand. We can attract fans in places like Atlanta where we landed top recruits like Shareef and Jaylen Brown. If our liberal image makes a lot of people tune into our games to root against us, that only increases our ratings.

The departure of Knowlton may be an opportunity to outsource the revenue sports to a Cal alum run non-profit that would manage and market the team, employ the coaches and players, replace the Learfield contract and hire on-air personalities and manage the game day environment. The new entity could borrow money against future revenues (our eventual full ACC share) and donations would earn voting shares, garnering more donations (which could be tax deductible as all profits are donated to the university).

What you're saying all makes sense… but Cal is not a trailblazer in athletics, maybe you're confusing all the Nobel prizes in academic subjects with a willingness to change and innovate in administrative practices. Not going to happen, this place is not agile in any sense of the word.
I commend your creative thinking, but to get back to the real world, let's just hope for an AD that shows a versatile set of leadership skills and a commitment to take action (and prioritize the things that need the most action, that's the hard part). Also independence from donors who think the size of their donations entitles them to enforce their opinions or policies on the whole program.
I'd like to hear some names of prospects from anyone who follows the AD world, I certainly don't. And sure, a Cal alum is fine, but let's set the bar at some minimum character standard, like "never been accused of sexual abuse" or "hasn't embezzled money in the last 10 years."
Reply Quote
Refresh
Page 1 of 1
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.