U and Maturi will keep pushing funding limits

University of Minnesota officials will announce this morning that nearly $90 million has been raised from private sources for the new football stadium. The goal had been $86 million.

But they also will say they still need more.

A donor whose identity will be revealed at today's news conference has given the university $6 million, the largest individual gift for the stadium project. That puts fundraising beyond the first target, but athletic director Joel Maturi said the school must continue to raise money to pay for specific enhancements to the stadium, such as wider concourses. Those enhancements raise the cost of the stadium to more than $288 million. Regents in 2006 approved a stadium costing $248.7 million, and even then it was reported that the cost likely would surpass that.

"In all honesty, there are some other funding needs," Maturi said. "... The money from the students and the money from parking and the money we were to raise was to get us to the [$248 million] when in reality it's a $288 million stadium. ... The more that we can raise, the less debt service we have and, therefore, the more we can give to not only our football program but to the other 24 sports."

An M Club room, a training table area and a Hall of Fame room won't be completed until the school attains additional funding, Maturi said. The stadium has 20,000 square feet of unfinished space.

Still, Maturi said that today will be cause for celebration because of the university's ability to raise so much private money in the current economic downturn. He said school officials didn't want to raise the original fundraising goal because it would have been viewed as unrealistic.

Maturi said he has had a lengthy relationship with the private donor who gave Minnesota $6 million.

"I'm just thankful that he is going to get the recognition that he deserves," he said. "All the people who have contributed to bringing football back to campus will feel good that there's not going to be a significant debt service involved in the facility. We're here to move ahead."

Two other projects -- a new baseball stadium and a basketball practice facility -- will move up on the athletic department's priority list now, Maturi said.

"We obviously had to put all of our time and energy and efforts into the football stadium for obvious reasons," Maturi said. "But now that we've reached those goals, if we can raise the money, we're going to move ahead and hopefully have some more projects done here in the next several years."

Minnesota men's basketball coach Tubby Smith has been vocal about his desire to have a separate practice site, which is becoming the norm for most major Division I programs. But he also has said that he understands his team's place in the pecking order for new facilities.

Baseball coach John Anderson also has publicized his desire for a new stadium. The current ballpark has been in use for 38 years.

Maturi recently said that a fundraising push for the basketball practice facility would be in motion by January, as the school simultaneously seeks funding for a baseball stadium.

In spite of the current economic woes, some of the university's big boosters are confident that Minnesota's other building projects will also be well-supported by the public.

"[Football reaching its goal] just shows the strength of the university and the commitment that many of its graduates have to the school," said Lou Nanne, former North Stars general manager and university booster. He also said: "I hope [donors are] not tapped out. I don't think they are."

Said Bob McNamara, a university fundraiser and former Gophers football player: "I would be the first to jump in there and give something to the baseball stadium and even also for the basketball [facility]."