Former Fresno State AD Jim Bartko lands back at Oregon

Former Fresno State athletic director Jim Bartko has landed back at Oregon, accepting a position with university advancement as interim director of major gifts. He will work with school and college fundraisers to build a portfolio of prospects and donors.

“I’m excited,” Bartko said. “It’s good to get back at it. It has been a rough year and a half. I took a couple of body blows but I made it. Some people don’t make it, and I made it.”

Bartko, who was hired by Fresno State president Joseph I. Castro, abruptly resigned in November 2017 after three trying years at the head of the Bulldogs athletic department. In January 2017, he had revealed that he had been molested as a child by his Catholic priest and basketball coach. Bartko also went through a divorce later that year.

In June, he filed an administrative claim with the California State University alleging he was forced to resign after being subjected to a “whisper campaign” orchestrated by Castro.

In the claim, Bartko is seeking $3 million in damages for emotional distress, defaming him and for a “conscious disregard” for his legal rights.

The claim was denied, according to a CSU spokesman, and Bartko has until November to proceed with a lawsuit.

Bartko declined to comment on the claim or a potential suit, focusing on his new job at Oregon. He will be able to split time between Eugene and California.

“The advancement group at Oregon does marketing, alumni relations, fundraising,” he said. “I’m appreciative of the president and vice president for having the faith in me, the confidence in me. We’ve been talking for five months on this. They know who I am. They know what I’m about. They’ve been so good about understanding. There’s no questions.

“There are a lot of people that are happy I’m back, great support. I was raised here. I was 22 when I started and a lot of these donors are my friends. They’ve watched me grow, and I’ve watched them grow. It’s good to be back with people that know you and text you and call you and say, ‘Hey,we’re for you.’ For me, that means a lot right now.”

This story was originally published August 3, 2018 at 11:05 AM.