CCAgenda_03Feb12 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA r J • Office of the President February 7, 2003 202 Morrill Hall I00 Church Street S.E. Minneapolis, MN 55455-0110 612-626-1616 Fax: 612-625-3875 Dear Friend: SEE ~ ®200 In recent weeks, the state's difficult financial picture has overshadowed many other issues facing the University of Minnesota. As an organization that depends on state appropriations for a third of its funding, the University is planning for significant cuts from the state, and for the difficult decisions those cuts will necessitate. But even in -these challenging times, the University continues to engage in long-range planning. Today I am writing to update you on my thinking about a future home for Gopher football: As you are aware, in late November, the Minnesota Vikings rejected an on-campus stadium, stating that the site did not meet their needs for an NFL entertainment venue. I, too, developed serious reservations whether a joint on-campus stadium facility would yield the University's desired outcomes. The needs of a modern-day, for-profit professional NFL entertainment franchise and those of an academic institution are simply too difficult to reconcile. Although the joint stadium idea did not work, the time and resources the University devoted to planning a joint stadium have not been in vain. Most importantly, we have learned that significant support exists for bringing Gopher football back to campus. Further, our work with the Vikings indicates that an on-campus, Gophers-only facility may be a feasible option. Such a facility would be smaller and more consistent with campus aesthetics, and its calendar of events would be lighter, lessening the impact on our University community and adjacent neighborhoods. Any new stadium effort would need broad support across our campus and beyond it, and it must not divert academic resources or compromise our academic mission. Although we do not have a set timeframe, we hope to soon begin a more formal exploration of an on-campus, Gophers-only facility. Such an effort would include an evaluation of the potential for private fundraising for such a facility. I will keep you informed as this issue advances over the next few months. As always, your comments and ideas are welcome, and can be directed to me at upres@umn.edu or through the web site we've created to help keep interested people informed about the stadium issue: www.umn.edu/stadium. Sincerely, Robert H. Bruininks President