UCI Programs Miss Deadline but Will Continue for Now

UC Irvine’s track and cross-country supporters have missed a December deadline for raising funds to support the men’s teams next year, but the programs do not appear to be in immediate danger of being discontinued.

“They’re not holding to that,” said Vince O’Boyle, who coaches the men’s and women’s track and cross-country teams. “We just have to keep moving toward bringing in money at the end of the year. (But) I have a feeling that if we don’t keep bringing money in, they may drop it.”

Dan Guerrero, Irvine’s new athletic director, said he met with O’Boyle on Wednesday “to try to get an update relative to meeting (the fund-raising) mandate.”

“My whole perspective is to try to offer whatever support I can,” Guerrero said. “We want to do everything we can to keep that program going.”

Irvine announced last May it was eliminating men’s track and field and cross-country as well as baseball because of budget problems and gender-equity concerns.

In June, the university responded to pressure from supporters by agreeing to re-establish the men’s track and cross-country teams if volunteers raised $70,000 by August and an additional $70,000 by December.

But despite a strongly worded agreement stating the elimination of the programs would be final if the goal was not met, university officials agreed to an extension of the deadline and then reinstated the programs even though less than $25,000 was raised.

Horace Mitchell, vice chancellor for student affairs, said the goals were lowered because the programs were able to cut personnel and operating expenses. Still, he expected supporters to raise a “ballpark figure” of $25,000-$30,000 by Dec. 18 for Irvine to field teams during the 1993-94 season.

“It’s still on the table; it has to be addressed,” Mitchell said. “We’ve got to make sure it didn’t slip their minds.”

O’Boyle said money has continued to come in since the August deadline. But until he receives the check for $3,000-$8,000 he expects from a series of races the teams have helped run, he has less than $3,000 in hand.

“Money is still dribbling in. It’s not like it’s a dead issue,” O’Boyle said. “(Supporters) are going to meet again in February before the track season. We’re going to invite people in and say, ‘Here we are with our hands out again. We need help.’ We’re starting all over again.”

Mitchell and Guerrero agree that they want to “make it work,” but O’Boyle is wary of what might happen if the programs do not at least approach the new goal.

“I think (Mitchell) is going to be hard-line if we don’t bring in the money at the end of the year,” O’Boyle said.