Gopher Football Stadium Receives $6 Million Donation

As you've probably heard by now, the U of Minnesota has received a $6 million donation from T. Denny Sanford to put towards the new stadium. As the Strib story says, Denny is a 1958 U of M alum who tried to get his name on the stadium, but instead will have to settle for having the Gopher Hall of Fame named for him. U officials said today that almost $90 million in private funds has been raised, surpassing their goal of $86 million. This is good news for a stadium project that, of course, is already more than $40 million over its projected budget of $248 million, and still has more it to add, including an M Club area, a training table (fancy way of saying an eating area for the players), and the "T. Denny Sanford" Hall of Fame (by the way, at what point does a rich person decide "you know what, I don't want to be called by my first name anymore. Nope, I want to go with first inital and my full MIDDLE name. That's right, biatches, I'm rich and I'm proud of it and I'm going with the First inital-middle name!!" Do they have a "First Inital-Full Middle Name" club? Does a rich person gain membership and the priviledge of changing their name once they reach a certain tax bracket? Do they also get an honorary tweed smoking jacket and sailing cap like the Skipper's on Gilligan's Island with the FIFMN club logo embroidered on it?).

Of course, this doesn't mean AD Joel Maturi will stop pushing for money, as there's always more the athletic department needs. At the top of the list is a new basketball practice facility AND a new baseball stadium. In today's economic climate, I highly, highly doubt he gets both. When Tubby's hoops program blows up this season and they make a deep NCAA tourney run, he (or more likely the coach who replaces him when he flees for a better job) will get more than enough support for the basketball practice facility. But a new baseball stadium? For a non-revenue sport? Are you kidding me? Good luck with that one, Joel. Unless T. Denny is a big baseball fan too.