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The Bay Area received some good news Tuesday when the U.S. Olympic Committee announced that San Francisco is one of two U.S. cities competing to host the 2012 Olympic games. 

On Nov. 3 the committee will choose between San Francisco and its competition: New York City. 

The announcement bodes well for Berkeley sports fans, says the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee (BASOC), because the Bay Area bid calls for indoor volleyball, beach volleyball and soccer to be played on the UC campus. 

“They loved Berkeley,” Winnicker said of the U.S. Olympic Committee. “What they loved was the whole mind, body and spirit attitude that is it at both [UC Berkeley and Stanford University]... great, world renowned universities. That’s really what the Olympic ideals are all about.” 

Haas Pavilion, which seats 12,000 people, would be used for indoor volleyball, both the preliminaries and the finals. Edwards Stadium, seating 22,000, would be used for beach volleyball finals. Memorial Stadium, seating 73,347, would host the preliminary soccer games.  

The Recreation Sports Facility, holding several large training gymnasiums, would also be used.  

Improvements to Berkeley’s sports venues are also in the plan and would be funded by BASOC. 

“I would think some renovations would be [appropriate],” said Bob Rose, UC Berkeley’s executive associate athletic director. “But, at this point, we’re not really sure what will be done.” 

Along with the immediate improvements to facilities, long-term benefits to transportation are expected. 

“Historically, the host sites have benefited greatly in a lot of different ways,” Rose said. “From an awareness standpoint, so many more people become aware [of your location]. The greatest benefits are seen over the span of many years.” 

Berkeley city officials have been concerned about the potential for traffic jams and increased congestion if San Francisco were to be named the site for the 2012 games. But Randy Rentschler, spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, said the Bay Area could accommodate the influx of people. 

“The facilities here can handle it,” Rentschler said. “The people who live here are comfortable getting on public transit and understand it.” 

With nearly 80 percent of the sports facilities required for the 2012 Olympics already in place, Rentschler said that, unlike other cities that have recently hosted the games, this area would not have much else to build. 

“The Bay Area isn’t really building for the Olympics,” Rentschler said. “We’re building for the Bay Area and it also happens to be a great fit for the Olympics.” 

The Bay Area already has plans to add 50 miles of HOV lanes to the existing 275 miles, improve express bus service and continue BART service to San Jose. 

Along with Berkeley, Olympic events would be held in Oakland, Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Jose and Palo Alto. The proposed Olympic Village, or headquarters, would be placed near Mountain View. 

San Francisco and New York edged out Houston and Washington D.C./Baltimore for final consideration for the 2012 games, the Olympic committee said today. 

If San Francisco is the final U.S. city to emerge, the Bay Area will then contend with Toronto; Rome; Paris; France; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Cape Town, South Africa. The final decision is slated to be made in 2005.