GoodasGold
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Denny T Sanford Donates 12.5 Million to South Dakota State Football
- Thread starter UofMdad
- Start date
Sanford made another huge donation that hasn't been discussed in this thread and it may place him in a little better light in the minds of some of his detractors. In 2002, North America's largest, deepest gold mine, the Homestake Mine in Lead, SD, closed. When they shut the power down, the mine slowly but steadily started filling with water. In those years, the National Science Foundation started looking for the ideal deep underground science lab to conduct experiments (heavy physics stuff). Sanford donated $70 million: $50 million to save the mine, get the pumps running again etc., and $20 million to set up an underground science lab. He saw the potential in the mine and had the ability to save it for the state and for science. South Dakota's universities as well as the top science universities in the country have scientists working on experiments at the lab -- the opportunity for student research is tremendous. As the lab continues to develop and grow, it will bring more money to the State than when it functioned as a gold mine. Even with federal money in short supply, some of the experiments going on in that mine are mind-boggling. If government research support returns to prior levels, amazing things will be happening in that lab. (If anyone's interested, here's a link to the Sanford Underground Research Facility: http://sanfordlab.org/about/deep-science-frontier-physics )
Sanford and the Dykhouse family donated $6+ million about five years ago to build a state-of-the-art football training facility (lockerrooms, meeting rooms, weight room, academic rooms etc.) on the north end of the football stadium. The replacement football stadium (on the same site as the current stadium) will be open for the 2016 season, will seat a little more than 18,000 and is easily expandable to 22,500. SDSU has under construction now an indoor training facility which cost $32 - 33 million...all donated funds with a lead gift of $10 million from Sanford Health, not Mr. Sanford. The indoor training facility will have a 300-meter indoor track, 100 yards of turf, and seating for about 2,000 to 2,500 -- it's primarily a practice facility but the seating will provide reasonable spectator space for track (and even a high school 9-man football game or two).
Approximately $50 million of the football stadium cost will be financed by the sale of bonds. But, as noted in a prior post, including the football stadium, SDSU will have about $100 million in athletic capital improvements underway. (We're also doing some renovations in Frost Arena, a classic basketball venue.)
There's a little confusion about what was donated toward the football stadium, a $65 million complex for which ground should be broken early this summer. Denny Sanford donated $10 million toward the stadium and Dana Dykhouse, CEO of Premier Bank (primarily owned by Sanford as others have noted) donated $2.5 million toward the stadium which will bear the Dykhouse name. Dana and his son both played football for the Jackrabbits. As noted before, Sanford has some history for recognizing and honoring those who have assisted him in being financially successful. The School of Business at the University of South Dakota has a brand new facility and is named the Beacom School of Business after the President of Premier Bancard.
Sanford and the Dykhouse family donated $6+ million about five years ago to build a state-of-the-art football training facility (lockerrooms, meeting rooms, weight room, academic rooms etc.) on the north end of the football stadium. The replacement football stadium (on the same site as the current stadium) will be open for the 2016 season, will seat a little more than 18,000 and is easily expandable to 22,500. SDSU has under construction now an indoor training facility which cost $32 - 33 million...all donated funds with a lead gift of $10 million from Sanford Health, not Mr. Sanford. The indoor training facility will have a 300-meter indoor track, 100 yards of turf, and seating for about 2,000 to 2,500 -- it's primarily a practice facility but the seating will provide reasonable spectator space for track (and even a high school 9-man football game or two).
Approximately $50 million of the football stadium cost will be financed by the sale of bonds. But, as noted in a prior post, including the football stadium, SDSU will have about $100 million in athletic capital improvements underway. (We're also doing some renovations in Frost Arena, a classic basketball venue.)
There's a little confusion about what was donated toward the football stadium, a $65 million complex for which ground should be broken early this summer. Denny Sanford donated $10 million toward the stadium and Dana Dykhouse, CEO of Premier Bank (primarily owned by Sanford as others have noted) donated $2.5 million toward the stadium which will bear the Dykhouse name. Dana and his son both played football for the Jackrabbits. As noted before, Sanford has some history for recognizing and honoring those who have assisted him in being financially successful. The School of Business at the University of South Dakota has a brand new facility and is named the Beacom School of Business after the President of Premier Bancard.