Dean Johnson suggests we can build practice facility before money is raised

[BleedGopher]

per Shooter:

At the recent University of Minnesota Board of Regents meeting, during which athletics director Norwood Teague presented a $190 million plan to upgrade Gophers facilities, there was no funding mechanism submitted other than trying to raise the money through donors. The athletics department is doing a feasibility study to determine whether donors will be able to pay for the mammoth upgrades.

"We know it's not tuition money; we know it's not state money," regents vice chairman Dean Johnson said this week. "It's got to be privately funded at this point in time. I'd say the overall plan was received, absent money, quite well. It made logical sense.

"There's one glaring difference between funding a stadium and a (practice facility for) basketball and hockey. Essentially this is for practice and preparation. This ain't the junior prom -- this is practice for the prom."

Johnson figures fundraising can be done piecemeal.

"You can start new construction -- how far you get along will be dependent upon the resource," he said. "If people look at their land, it's one thing -- if they look at a structure that's starting to take shape, maybe it's a little easier to get the checkbook out.

"The other thing is that a trip to the Rose Bowl certainly would help our efforts. And I'm not talking just with the fan bus -- I'm talking with the team."

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_23685409/shooter-now-john-harris-treats-3m-championship-like

Go Gophers!!

 

[Deleted_User]

Got to have money for a contractor to build. This isn't a real possibility until the money is in the bank. This project has to go through the bonding process with the Legislature's support. Maybe the donors can retire the bonds.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

Got to have money for a contractor to build. This isn't a real possibility until the money is in the bank. This project has to go through the bonding process with the Legislature's support. Maybe the donors can retire the bonds.

I don't see any way the legislature includes this in the bonding bill. Maybe, if they get 3-4 years into the process, and they've raised a significant part of the money ($100M or so) and they need a little help to get over the hump, that might be possible. But, given the current political climate, there's no way this gets onto the bonding bill - way too many other projects fighting for a piece of the pie.

 

[imthewalrus]

I don't see any way the legislature includes this in the bonding bill. Maybe, if they get 3-4 years into the process, and they've raised a significant part of the money ($100M or so) and they need a little help to get over the hump, that might be possible. But, given the current political climate, there's no way this gets onto the bonding bill - way too many other projects fighting for a piece of the pie.

And, when our new Norwood extended, then bought out and fired Tubby, a number of our esteemed legislators expressed shock, dismay and disgust at the way the University was throwing money around. Some even commented: "...they had better not come here asking for money after wasting it like they did..." (paraphrased from several legislators in their sound-bite exposure following the Tubby/Pitino exchange of contract money.)

Dean Johnson must have recently seen a re-run of FIELD OF DREAMS if he thinks you can start building multi-million-dollar structuires without the funds in hand. Is he really that out of touch? Come on Norwood: people keep raving about what a fund-raiser you are, so far you haven't raised a penny of any of these stated needs since you arrived here something like two years ago...get out there and beg, borrow and steal us these practice facilities. You're supposed to be the man, Norwood...

; 0 )