![Players squared of at center ice for a faceoff to begin the overtime period. ] JIM GEHRZ • jgehrz@startribune.com / Minneapolis, MN / January 11, 2014 / 10:00 AM BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The Minnetonka girls’ hockey team played Eden Prairie in an outdoor contest at TCF Bank Stadium at the 2014 High School Hockey Faceoff, January 10, 2014. Minnetonka won the game on an overtime goal by Sydney Baldwin. ORG XMIT: MIN1401111439210911](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/6VN2IG6ZYWI5P6EDGLLOGUJTDE.jpg?&w=1080)
Wow, right on, Lou Nanne — I could not agree more with what you said in your Star Tribune interview regarding funding for the University of Minnesota (" 'There's no reason why we can't. …' " Jan. 15). I am a Southern transplant and still an avid sports fan of my Southern alma mater. However, after living in Minnesota for many years, I am a true Gopher fan for all sports.
If you look at any successful university, you will see successful sports teams. Lou said it best: Successful athletics drives academics. Good athletic teams bring in more students, and together they bring in more revenue for the university to grow — in athletics and in academics. You need both. But you need top-notch facilities, whether study halls or sports facilities, for that growth.
As a transplant to Minnesota, I recognize the wonderful quality of life we have here, and to have the university facilities lagging in the Big Ten is not good — it restricts good recruiting. And as Lou said, we are all affected if we live in this beautiful state. It was refreshing to read his passion for the University of Minnesota.
