Torre Chisholm

Bryce Alderton

Torre Chisholm is riding the crest of a wave that carries UC

Irvine athletics.

The 33-year-old Irvine resident has been at UCI for two years,

where he is the associate athletic director who handles marketing and

development of the university’s 23 sports teams.

He oversees fundraising efforts, and along with a staff of seven

in the marketing and promotions department, strategizes ways to sell

more tickets.

In two years at UCI, external fundraising has increased 30-40%,

Chisholm said.

“Success of the programs gets people more excited and in turn

those (teams) become more successful,” Chisholm said. “The support

financially helps us get better tools to keep improving.”

With the men’s and women’s basketball teams in the throes of Big

West play, the beginning of spring sports and the early-season

success of the men’s volleyball team -- ranked No. 2 in the nation

and off to it’s best start ever at 9-0 after victories over UC San

Diego and Long Beach State Fridy and Saturday -- Chisholm said this

time of year is “brutal, but fun.”

“UCI athletics is continuing to build its presence and position in

Orange County,” Chisholm said. “We’re a young school that is

up-and-coming, but at the same time we want people to know there is

something special going on now that people have the chance to be a

part of.”

UCI has captured 47 Big West Conference titles in the past 25

years, including back-to-back in men’s basketball the last two

seasons and men’s and women’s golf in 2002.

Some of Chisholm’s most memorable moments from attending college

at UC Santa Barbara, where he received a bachelor’s degree in

economics, came attending Gaucho athletic events.

“Cheering for the school and having the connection to thousands of

other fans whether it be kids or senior citizens, are some of the

best college memories I have,” Chisholm said. “Everyone in college

deserves the right to those things.”

The gym at UCSB tabbed “The Thunderdome” is noted for the noise

generated by screaming fans

Chisholm said he has been fortunate enough to work with the

Completely Insane Anteaters (CIA), a group of students formed before

the 2000-01 basketball season, who attend Anteater hoops games,

cheering wildly. Chisholm holds the CIA in high regard as a model

marketing strategy to get more fans to the games.

“I came here and said, ‘What do we need to do to get students

involved and have a bigger impact on the games?’” Chisholm said. “The

CIA has set off a great campus environment.”

The reinstatement of baseball after a nine-year hibernation last

season has helped fuel the enthusiasm around UCI these days, Chisholm

added.

“Baseball last year had a miraculous fan base,” Chisholm said. “We

had 3,000-plus watch the first game.”

University representatives including Chisholm currently find

themselves trying to raise $20 million for facilities improvements,

including expansion of the aquatics center and constructing a new

sports medicine complex.

The money will also be used on Anteater Ballpark with plans to add

a clubhouse and a permanent press box while increasing the number of

chairs with seat backs.

UCI must raise all of the $20 million, said Chisholm.