The Gophers are getting closer to unveiling their vision for a major overhaul to their facilities for football, basketball and other sports.
Athletics director Norwood Teague said Thursday that the department's strategic facilities plan should be completed by mid-April. After that, department officials will begin a statewide tour to drum up fundraising. The eventual cost, Teague said, could be anywhere from $80 million to $125 million, but with some of the most outmoded facilities in the Big Ten, the university is trying to close the gap.
"If it's too expensive, we'll have to cut back in areas," Teague said. "But right now, with construction costs being pretty favorable, it's different than it was five years ago."
Teague said the money can be raised through fundraising and the sale of bonds. He reiterated that a basketball practice facility is a need instead of a want.
"Money doesn't grow on trees, and I know with the state budgets and things like that, we want to be very smart about what we do," Teague said.
No talk about TubbyIn a wide-ranging 33-minute session with reporters, Teague headed off questions about men's basketball coach Tubby Smith by saying his policy is not to address the status of coaches during the season. Teague, however, did make it clear that one priority is raising football coach Jerry Kill's salary, which ranks last in the Big Ten, at about $1.2 million.
"We've got to get him up," Teague said. "Because when you're in the bottom of the league -- and you're the bottom, by far, -- that's an issue. So we've got to work hard to do that, and Jerry feels good."
Teague said he's also determined to keep the salaries of Kill's assistants competitive, saying the football staff's continuity is one of its strengths.
