Cal Basketball Finally Has A Dedicated Practice Facility
It's a huge step forward for both the men's and women's programs.
The California Golden Bears have needed a practice facility for their hoops programs for the longest time, and now they finally have one, thanks to a gift from the Goldman Family (as well as the Edelstones). Both Cal basketball teams have often used the Blue Gym on the third floor of the Recreational Sports Facility for practice, and now it’ll be permanently converted into their own dedicated facility for the private use of both the men’s and women’s basketball teams.
More from the official press release from Cal Athletics:
The University of California, Berkeley, has received a $10 million commitment from the Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund to establish a dedicated practice facility for its men's and women's basketball programs.
The project, which will renovate and modernize the current Blue Gym at the Recreational Sports Facility through a partnership with Berkeley RecWell, will also include an updated strength and conditioning facility in Haas Pavilion.
"The new practice facility is a crucial step for us as we continue to build a championship-level program," Cal head men's basketball coach Mark Madsen said. "It will allow us to continue to recruit elite student-athletes that are the right fit for Cal and be vital for individual and team development. We are extremely grateful for the generosity of Lisa and Doug Goldman to help make this project a reality."
The facility will include a new floor and technological enhancements including replay screens and shot trackers. Not only will the modernized gym give Cal's basketball teams the flexibility to schedule practices that best fit the demands of their student-athletes, it will give them 24/7 access for individual training throughout the year.
The renovated strength and conditioning area will allow Cal's teams to ensure optimal training schedules. New improvements will also better leverage sports science innovation and improve lifting technique.
"I am so appreciative of the Goldmans for their generosity and continued support of Cal Athletics," Cal head women's basketball coach Charmin Smith said. "This facility fills an essential need for our student-athletes and is crucial in enhancing player development. A designated practice facility allows us to continue the pursuit of top talent and our quest for championships."
The dedicated facility will be vital as Cal's basketball programs move forward and compete with conference and national peers in the current dynamic landscape of intercollegiate athletics.
Additional support to further enhance the project is ongoing, with Mark '83 and Lori '84 Edelstone already making a significant commitment to the project as well.
"If a college wants to compete at the top level of Division I, a 24/7 practice facility is critical to attracting the top varsity basketball players," Doug Goldman '74, M.D., said. "When Cal-Berkeley was in the Pac-12, it was the final school to be lacking one when UCLA built its facility. When he made the lead gift to create that new practice facility at UCLA, our dear friend, Mo Ostin, of blessed memory, called me to tell me, "Now, you're next!" This has been a long time coming. But we now have a commitment to excellence in athletics, especially the revenue-producing sports, at the highest level of this otherwise exceptional University. After all, a school that is committed to exceptional academics should also be committed to exceptional athletics!".
The Goldman family is one of the most stalwart supporters of Cal Athletics, having made significant contributions to save Cal baseball, and also have the Goldman Plaza named for them along the Memorial Stadium concourse.
Cal Athletics is modernizing quickly, on both the fundraising and development front. More steps are needed, but these are the steps that are required if the Bears expect to survive the future wars of realignment. Good news for our Cal players, and hopefully it’ll pay off with even stronger teams as the transfer portal opens next week.