SID's JOTTINGS
• The University of Minnesota Board of Regents will vote on the Gophers athletic department's facilities funding plan in June, and indications are strong that athletic director Norwood Teague's plan of borrowing $20 million from outside the university and $20 million from the athletic department against future earnings will get the board's approval so that construction could begin in the fall.
• Flip Saunders, the president of basketball operations and coach for the Timberwolves, said he tried to hire former University of Florida coach Billy Donovan last season, but Donovan turned down the job. He took the coaching job with the Oklahoma City Thunder at the end of April. "We actually talked to Billy last year," Saunders said. "I coached Billy in the CBA in Rapid City. I have a pretty good relationship with him. He is an NBA guy. He played in the NBA, does a lot of NBA-type stuff. I thought it was just a matter of time. He has been very successful in Florida. I think he was just waiting for the right situation, you know. Last year with us it was the unknown with [Kevin] Love kind of scaring him away a little bit."
• Though early attendance for Twins games at Target Field have been low, President Dave St. Peter reports that 1.65 million tickets already have been sold for the 2015 season. The team is confident it can once again reach 2 million tickets sold with summer series against the Cubs, Cardinals, Brewers, Yankees and Red Sox expected to be big draws.
• It might surprise people to know the owners of the new Minnesota MLS soccer franchise are actively looking for additional investors.
• TCF Bank Stadium is going to host three big concerts this summer with the Rolling Stones on June 3, Luke Bryan on June 20 and One Direction on July 26.
