Fresno State Athletics
Bulldog Athletic Programs Benefit from Student Fee Referendum
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April 8, 1999
Fresno, Calif. - Fresno State's athletic department cheered in celebration Wednesday evening after learning a critical student fee referendum passed with an 82 percent approval of the student vote. The approval of the student fee increase provides at least one-third of the collected fees to supplement the athletic department budget.
"Yes, we can absolutely say there are no plans to eliminate any sports," said President John Welty, California State University, Fresno.
Welty and athletic department officials met with several coaches this morning after the good news spread through the campus late yesterday evening. As other schools have dropped mens programs in recent years and as recently as last week, Fresno State served positive notice to achieving gender balance without eliminating opportunities for male student-athletes.
Fresno State's Associated Students, Inc., the student government organization, initiated the student fee referendum, in part to achieve its own goals in providing programs for the student body as well as helping the athletic department. Actual monetary figures will depend on enrolled students, but the fee grants one-third of the total to ASI, one-third to the athletic department and a mandatory one-third to financial aid programs. The new fee structure increases the current Fresno State figure of $16 per year - the lowest in the university system - by $24 starting Fall 1999. That fee progressively increases by $6 per year through the 2002-2003 school year to a peak of $58 per year, which ranks below the current 22-school system average of $67 per year.
"I am extremely pleased that the students on our campus recognize the value of athletics in the collegiate experience," said Athletic Director Al Bohl. "On behalf of our coaches and student-athletes, I want to thank the students for showing a commitment to support their University teams. We will do our best to give them reasons to be proud."
As part of the University's commitment to fiscal integrity, an Athletic Financial Task Force was commissioned in Fall 1998 to analyze the athletic department budget and make recommendations on expenditures and operating expenses as well as projected future budgets. One overwhelming conclusion of the Task Force was to continue a broad-based athletic program and the current sport sponsorship, but it did recommend the athletic department generate additional funding to maintain the status of those sports.
Fresno State currently sponsors 20 sports and has been a model program in progressive compliance with Title IX, Cal-NOW and entitlement programs. The Bulldog athletic program finished 38th nationally in the Sears Cup standings last spring, the highest level of excellence to date. In comparison to the eight Western Athletic Conference programs, Fresno State sponsors the highest number of mens and womens programs with 10 womens teams and 10 mens squads.
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