Media Credit: Steve Dykes Mike Carr scores in a win over Linfield in 1981, baseball's last season at Oregon. The program was cut after a 16-21 season facing budget issues and Title IX. [Click to enlarge]

One year after the University of Oregon's establishment, in 1877, the first Oregon baseball game was played; 26 years ago was the last. The last, that is, until Athletic Director Pat Kilkenny announced last Friday that the sport would return to the University's intercollegiate athletic department in time for the 2008-09 season.

Kilkenny and Reneé Baumgartner, as part of Friday's press conference, also announced that wrestling would be dropped as a varsity sport after the 2007-08 season and that a new women's sport, competitive cheerleading, would be added at the same time as baseball.

"This is a time of mixed emotions for both myself and the University of Oregon," Kilkenny said in an athletic department press release. "I am obviously excited to return a piece of the proud tradition of intercollegiate athletics back to the University, as well as provide more opportunities for women in a sport that has demonstrated remarkable growth."

"At the same time, it is unfortunate we are unable to be all things to all people."

Kilkenny said at the press conference that much of his decision was made with an eye toward the future. "It became very, very clear that we needed to make some changes," Kilkenny said of the athletic department's roster of sports. However, that did not make the decision an easy one; "These are life-changing events. This is something you lose sleep over," Kilkenny said.

"Obviously we're very disappointed," wrestling head coach Chuck Kearney said in a prepared statement. "We have the 2007-08 season to compete and with the Pac-10 Conference Championships here (March 2-3, 2008), we're hoping our student athletes will be able to focus on competing at the maximum of their abilities and taking the next step after that."

The athletic department will honor the contracts of the wrestling coaching staff, including head coach Chuck Kearney, and the scholarships of the student athletes expected to compete next year. Athletes with remaining eligibility will be allowed after next season to transfer to another school (the NCAA does not require a year between competing at Division-I schools for wrestling as it does for basketball, football and other programs) or retain their financial aid at the University throughout the duration of their eligibility.

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