An alert EMUTalk.org reader sent me this article a few days ago: from the Washington Monthly blog, “Bad News Golden Bears” is about efforts by the faculty at the University of California– Berkeley to end university financial support of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Now, my guess is that the faculty senate non-binding resolution is going to go nowhere because even at (maybe especially at?) a big-time and academically prestigious place like UC-Berkeley, they like football and other sports. But given the huge problems facing all of higher education in California, this might be an interesting case to watch. If there was any place in the country where athletics was going to be cut because of severe budget problems, California is probably it.
Regarding the CA budget, Cal football actually took a bus to LA when they played UCLA. So we are seeing some cut backs in athletics right now in the Pac 10.