Media + Timeline from the 314er Campaign
On September 10, 2020, the UAA Regents voted to eliminate funding for the UAA Alpine skiing. On January 15, 2021, UAA Skiing was reinstated. See below for media and timeline events during the 314er Campaign.
January 2021
January 15, 2021 // UAA Skiing is reinstated
Our funds are confirmed, but we are still actively raising additional funds to ensure we don’t find ourselves in this place again!We are reinstated, and this major accomplishment is an incredibly positive moment in our path to a permanent presence at our university. THANK YOU!
November 2020
Nov. 12, 2020 // Eastaugh: The importance of college racing in Alaska
Alpine ski racing is very important to some, and pretty much below the radar of most. Particularly vulnerable these days are college ski teams, threatened by budget issues. New Mexico, a strong team, was shut down several years ago. The University of Alaska nearly shut down its ski teams in both Anchorage and Fairbanks four years ago, then relented. But this fall, the university’s regents prospectively dissolved UAA’s alpine team at the end of the 2020-21 season. The regents left the door to reinstatement very slightly ajar: if cash of $314,000 and pledges for another $314,000 (to cover two years of operating expenses) can be raised by December 31, 2020, the team will be reinstated.
October 2020
Oct 23, 2020 // SRM’s campaign to help save Alaska ski team reaches midway point
Ski Racing Media will match all donations up to $50,000 to benefit threatened Seawolf alpine program.
Ski Racing Media’s campaign to help save the University of Alaska Anchorage alpine ski team reached its official midway point this week with more the $25,000 committed the matching campaign. SRM, in conjunction with the Team America Foundation, has pledged to match all donations made on this page, up to $50,000 for a total gift of $100,000 toward the cause.
Oct 5, 2020 // Ski Racing Media offers $50k matching donation to save U of Alaska ski team
Ski Racing Media, in collaboration with the Team America Foundation, announced today an up-to $50,000 matching donation to support the University of Alaska Anchorage ski team. The publication has launched a special fundraising page that will collect donations, where supporters can double their giving power and support the threatened Seawolf alpine team.
September 10, 2020
Thursday’s Board of Regents meeting and decision was slightly confusing. To clarify: The UAA men’s and women’s Ski Teams are two teams. The NCAA does not separate nordic and alpine. All qualified athletes compete together at a single championship. An incomplete team cannot win an overall NCAA title, and we are now working to retain our complete team – not just one or two pieces. You wouldn’t cut the football team only to add back just the Defense. We intend to compete for an overall NCAA championship moving forward with a complete team.
Sept. 24, 2020 // Fundraising efforts to save UAA hockey and skiing go online
The University of Alaska Anchorage hockey and ski teams have begun the road to reinstatement: building fundraising websites. Both skiing and hockey have to raise two seasons’ worth of expenses, one year in cash and one year in firm pledges by February 2021.
The downhill ski team is calling their fundraising campaign the 314 initiative hoping to raise $314,000 this fall along with $314,000 in pledges for next year.
“We are trying to find 314 people who will give a $1,000 [this year], and pledge to give a $1,000 next year,” said UAA head ski coach Sparky Anderson. “In three days we are just over $50,000 in cash and $40,000 in pledges.”
Sept. 10, 2020 // Regents eliminate UAA hockey, gymnastics and alpine skiing but offer each a chance at reinstatement
The University of Alaska Board of Regents on Thursday cut three sports at UAA — hockey, gymnastics and alpine skiing — but tossed a life preserver to each team.
Cross-country skiing, which was originally targeted for elimination, was spared via a proposal by UAA chancellor Cathy Sandeen.
Sept. 10, 2020 // BREAKING: Nordic Skiing Saved at UAA
For the second time in four years, nordic skiing has been saved at the University of Alaska Anchorage, following a serious proposal to eliminate the ski team entirely. This time around, the victory is somewhat more of a pyrrhic one, as the University of Alaska Board of Regents voted Thursday to eliminate the alpine portion of the men’s and women’s ski team, unless supporters can raise over a half million dollars in advance funding over the next few months from private sources.
August 18, 2020
Aug. 18, 2020 // UAA proposes cutting hockey, skiing and gymnastics
The University of Alaska Anchorage plans to cut hockey and three other sports as it continues to contend with sharp reductions in state funding, the school announced Wednesday.
The decision to eliminate men’s hockey, men’s and women’s skiing and women’s gymnastics will require approval from the University of Alaska Board of Regents, which is set to meet Sept. 10-11.