With an outstanding demonstration of unwavering support by the Cal community, Cal Athletics proudly announces the successful conclusion of the Campaign for Cal Athletics Excellence as part of the campus-wide campaign. In all, supporters gave $350.2M in support with $334.5M in gifts and pledges directly supporting the Light the Way Campaign. This historic milestone marks a transformative chapter for Cal Athletics, setting the stage for advancements in facilities, scholarships, and the overall student-athlete experience.
 
The Cal community's generosity throughout the 10-year campaign, especially during the pandemic, was inspiring. In all, 19,914 donors gave, with 64% of them being alumni. Of those alumni, 17% were former Cal student-athletes. In total, 109,894 gifts were made, demonstrating the power of the Cal community coming together. Everyone played a role in the success of the campaign - whether it was through crowdfunding campaigns, a gift made on Big Give, a legacy gift, establishing an endowment, scholarship contribution, or annual fund commitment. Every gift mattered. 
 
The Campaign for Cal Athletics Excellence was focused on three priorities - the student-athlete experience, competitive success, and attracting and retaining the best people. Significant strides were made in all three areas - ensuring Cal Athletics remains a leader in the intercollegiate athletics space.
 
"To create the environment to be exceptional academically and athletically requires the best coaches, practice facilities, weight rooms, nutrition programs, academic support, and operational resources," Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton said. "The Cal family's support of our three bold goals has made it possible for us to invest in these key areas and enhance the experience we provide our student-athletes. With your help, our student-athletes are prepared for a life after Cal, where they can thrive and be leaders within their communities. It is truly inspiring what has been accomplished and the philanthropic support and generosity of our donors will leave a lasting impact on the department and future generations of Golden Bears. I cannot thank the Cal family enough."
 
Exceptional Student-Athlete Experiences 
Cal strives to be the first-choice destination for student-athletes who value the pursuit of academic and athletic excellence, and who will passionately pursue their professional aspirations. To attract these elite student-athletes, Cal aspires to be exceptional in the support provided to all those who juggle rigorous course loads and balance intense training and competitive demands while they represent the university. During the campaign and in partnership with the department, our supporters made it possible to increase the number of scholarships available to student-athletes by 26. By working towards the NCAA maximum number of scholarships, Cal increases access and retention of student-athletes and ensures their ability to have a world class experience at the #1 public institution in the world. 
 
The Cameron Institute, founded in 2018, was made possible by a generous $12.5M gift from C. Bryan Cameron, and is one of the hallmark achievements during the campaign. The Cameron Institute is an innovative program that prepares Cal student-athletes for life after graduation by supporting their overall growth and development as undergraduates. It takes a holistic approach to their development, by providing support with career development, mental performance, and connecting student-athletes with community engagement opportunities. In December 2023, Bryan once again showed his commitment to Cal Athletics by providing a $3M matching endowment gift to inspire others to support the ongoing growth, development and sustainability of the Cameron Institute.
 
In addition, the Athletics Director's Excellence Fund, Championship CALiber (football), the Golden Way (women's basketball) and Men's Basketball Excellence Initiative were all established during the campaign, with the intention of providing flexible funding to key priority areas, which could include nutritional offerings, enhanced facilities, or operational support to teams. 
 
Team and Individual Competitive Success
Cal's long history of winning national and conference championships attracts the best and brightest student-athletes in the United States and abroad. The Bears have won at least one national championship for 46 straight years and have been more successful than many countries at the Olympics, garnering 223 total medals (121 gold). Cal is committed to enhancing the ways our programs support our student-athletes to provide premier opportunities to achieve success on the national level. During the campaign, numerous facility upgrades and capital projects contributed to the competitive success of our programs. 
 
Legends Aquatics Center was completed in 2016, providing the environment for three national championships for men's swimming and diving, four national championships for men's water polo and consistent top 10 rankings for our women's swimming and diving and water polo programs. The men's rowing program, propelled by the continued generosity of the Rogers Family Foundation, has won three national championships since the start of the campaign.  These successes would not be possible without the support of the Cal family. 
 
Additional facility projects included The Paul F. White Wellness & Innovation Center, which opened in January 2023, the Gender Equity Campaign, and Stu Gordon Stadium. The Paul F. White Wellness & Innovation Center provides football student-athletes with a dedicated space for refueling and recovery which attributes to on-field success. The Gender Equity Campaign, driven by key leadership from Lynda Brothers '68, Brad Brian '74 and Bill Ausfahl '61, will create an upgraded softball facility and the Banatao Family Beach Volleyball Stadium that meet the needs of our student-athletes. These upgraded facilities will offer the practice and competition spaces necessary to allow these programs to compete at the elite level. Cal Baseball's stadium was officially named the Stu Gordon Stadium in recognition of Stuart M. Gordon's generosity and commitment to the Cal Baseball program. An upgraded entry, new scoreboard, and ongoing enhancements to the facilities were made possible by Stu and the Cal baseball community.
 
In addition, a number of upgrades were made to locker rooms, team meeting spaces, technology, and nutritional offerings with the goal of helping student-athletes reach their full athletic potential.    
 
Attract and Retain the Best People
Cal aims to hire elite coaches, staff, and administrators to lead our student-athletes while demonstrating an unwavering commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, belonging and justice. We look to surround our student-athletes with coaches and staff who will help them maximize their full athletic and academic potential, while growing as individuals prepared for post-graduation success. Retaining elite coaches is critical to the long-term success of sports programs and the overall experience for student-athletes. During the campaign, four head coaching positions were endowed including the Travers Family Head Football Coach, the Alex & Marie Shipman Director of Men's Golf, the Donna Fong Director of Field Hockey, and the Peter Wright Director of Men's Tennis position. In addition, the Cameron Institute was also able to add two positions through generous named endowments. 
 
"Our Cal family is incredible and they have had a tremendous impact on the trajectory of our sports programs," Chief Development Officer Beth Tafolla-Voetsch said. "Their generosity demonstrates a deep commitment to ensuring the long-term success of our 30 sports programs.  Every single gift had a positive impact on our student-athletes and their experience."
 
The campaign marks a significant achievement for the Cal community and has made - and continues to make - a positive impact on the experience of our student-athletes. However, the work is not done - in partnership with the Cal Family, Cal Athletics continues to set its sights higher and is continually working toward securing the support and resources needed to continue providing over 850 student-athletes with a world-class experience, especially as the transition to the Atlantic Coast Conference begins on August 2, 2024.