Titans Reduce Fund-Raising Expectations

Cal State Fullerton announced Wednesday that it is scaling back the target for its athletic department fund-raising campaign, and that the one-year-old drive has netted $1 million in cash and pledges.

The campaign’s initial goal was to raise $6.3 million in 18 months--$4 million to add furnishings to the new Titan Sports Complex, $1.3 million to cover projected athletic department shortfalls and $1 million for two Titan Athletic Foundation annual membership drives.

The TAF goal remains the same, but the sports complex/athletic department target ($5.3 million) has been reduced to $4 million.

“The campaign cabinet and I both now regard the $5.3 million figure as overly optimistic as a result of California’s current recession and the economy’s impact on prospective givers,” school President Milton Gordon said in a release.

The Santa Ana-based Robert B. Sharp Co., which is conducting the campaign, had hoped to secure a multimillion-dollar donor for whom the stadium or a portion of the complex could be named during the one-year, private phase of the campaign.

The school will continue to solicit such a gift, but April 3 it will proceed with the public phase of the campaign, which will focus on the thousands of alumni and other individuals who have the capacity to give smaller gifts.

Among those who have made significant pledges to the campaign are New York Giants’ cornerback Mark Collins and Montreal Expos’ third baseman Tim Wallach, both former Titan athletes.

The Titan Sports Complex base project is completed, and the Fullerton baseball team is expected to begin competing in the on-campus stadium in April.

Funds from the campaign will go toward the construction of a two-story baseball press box with concession stands and restrooms, the furnishing of the multipurpose stadium support building with showers, locker rooms, training rooms and restrooms, and other items that were not included in the complex’s $10.2 million price tag.

The first major event in the 10,000-seat multipurpose stadium is planned for May 30-31 when the university conducts its 33rd commencement exercises.

The Titan football team will open the 1992 home season in the facility Sept. 5 against Cal State Northridge, followed by a Servite-Mater Dei high school football game Sept. 11.