Haas Pavilion can become a Bay Area Sports Mecca again
Understanding Cal's place within the Bay Area Sports Scene
Over the past years, Oakland has been hemorrhaging professional sports teams for one reason or another. First it was the Golden State Warriors, who left after their 2019 NBA Finals run against the Toronto Raptors. Now there is a caveat since they only moved to San Francisco, but a lot of people have told me from their experience at Chase Center that the crowd isn’t the same. Next it was the Oakland Raiders, who ripped my bay area childhood into smithereens as Derek Carr threw the ball away on 4th and goal against the Titans before losing in embarrassing fashion to the soulless Jaguars as they left Oakland high and dry.
Fast forward to today and it’s a whole different deal. The Oakland A’s are reportedly set to leave the Coliseum enroute for high roller vacation in Vegas. The East Bay, a quiet giant in terms of fandom, is left teamless.
Or are they?
Much like when the Raiders moved to Los Angeles, Cal has a chance to pounce. From 1982-1994, fans attended California Memorial Stadium under the Joe Kapp, Bruce Snyder, and Keith Gilbertson eras and Harmon Gym during the Dick Kuchen and Lou Campanelli eras. Definitely different ends of the totem pole during some of those seasons.
With this reinvigorated attention on Bay Area sports (for all the wrong reasons in some cases), Cal could and should take advantage of the opportunity that has been left on their front porch. East Bay residents and other Bay Area citizens to a lesser degree are looking for something to patch the black hole left by some of their departed teams, and Cal can provide that outlet. I remember those raucous, energetic, borderline chaotic crowds during the late 2000’s and 2010’s at Haas Pavilion. As someone who was reaching my adolescent years during that time, I didn’t appreciate that value of a great crowd and the camaraderie it can bring.
I get it now. Haas Pavilion can be a Bay Area Sports Mecca again. From the rebuilt Cal Men’s Basketball program under Mark Madsen, to the improving Cal Women’s Basketball team, and perhaps most impressively the Cal Women’s Gymnastics team that draws big crowds, people have illustrated at one time or another that they aren’t afraid or embarrassed to show up to Haas Pavilion during their week.
Like I mentioned earlier, Cal be awoken from the slumber that its currently in. Teams can fear coming into Haas Pavilion again. I know some of you are fiending for that energy to come back, almost salivating for it. I know I am. Remember the passion you saw at Big Game 2019, 2021, and 2022? There’s no reason that that can’t be the standard over on the West end of campus.
Marketing team, you’re up. Promotions team, you’re up. This can be an inflection point on the perception of Cal athletics from the Bay Area focus. And I for one am excited to see what can be done in the near future. I’m no betting man (well maybe I am since I won 275 because of the Nuggets winning the west) but I’d wager that I’ll be meeting more of you when I next head to Haas Pavilion.
The energy starts with the students. Start by making student tickets free and have the students line the sideline again and Haas will be formidable.
Playing the trumpet at Haas for men's and women's hoops was one of the greatest joys of my life. I can't wait to see a raucous atmosphere there again.