BERKELEY – Matt Biondi, one of the greatest swimmers in Cal and Olympic history, will be inducted into the Pac-12 Hall of Honor on Friday, March 9 during a ceremony prior to the semifinals of the Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas.
 
During his storied career, Biondi won 11 Olympic medals – including eight gold – 12 NCAA championships and 14 Pac-10 titles. As a result, he was a clear choice as the Pac-12's Men's Swimmer of the Century in 2016.
 
Biondi entered Cal in the fall of 1983 and almost immediately put his name in the Golden Bear record book. He set three school records – in the 50-yard free, 100-yard free and 200-yard free – that each stood for at least 15 years and all of his times continue to rank among the Bears' all-time top 10.
 
At the NCAA Championships, Biondi captured three consecutive titles in the 100 free and 200 free from 1985-87 and he was a two-time winner in the 50 free, as well as a member of four winning relays during his career. At the conference level, Biondi was a four-time champion in the 100 free among his 14 Pac-10 crowns.
 
On the international stage, Biondi earned his first Olympic medal in the 400-meter free relay at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Four years later in Seoul, he dominated with seven total medals in the pool, including gold in the 50 and 100 free as well as on three different relays. He also captured silver in the 100 butterfly and bronze in the 200 free. Biondi returned to the Olympics for a third time in 1992 and added three more medals to his collection – gold on the 400 free relay and 400 medley relay and silver in the 50 free.
 
In addition to swimming, Biondi was a four-time All-American in water polo and was tabbed Cal's Most Valuable Player as a junior in 1985. He helped the Bears to NCAA team titles in 1983, '84 and '87.
 
Named the U.S. Olympic Committee's Sportsman of the Year in both 1986 and 1988, Biondi is a member of the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Today, he is the proud father of Nate Biondi, a freshman freestyler at Cal who is carrying on the family name as a Golden Bear.
 
Overall, the Pac-12 Hall of Honor class features 11 former student-athletes and a former coach. In addition to Biondi, the others are: Michael Wright (Arizona), Linda Vollstedt (Arizona State), Bill Toomey (Colorado), Andrew Wheating (Oregon), Carol Menken-Schaudt (Oregon State), Kerri Walsh Jennings (Stanford), Rafer Johnson (UCLA), Cheryl Miller (USC), Missy Marlowe (Utah), Sonny Sixkiller (Washington) and Laura Lavine (Washington State.
 
The 17th annual Hall of Honor ceremony will be streamed live starting at 4 p.m. PT on March 9 on the Pac-12 Now app and on Pac-12.com to authenticated subscribers. The inductees will also be recognized in the Pac-12 Fan Plaza prior to the seminal session, as well as on court during halftime of the first semifinal game.