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5/5/2005July 24, 1992, stands out in my mind as if it were yesterday. That's the day that the wrecking ball's swing signaled the end of Memorial Stadium. The last football game had been played in the stadium in the fall of 1981, and the new Aquatic Center had since been built on what was the playing field. It had been clear to everyone that the Gophers would never play in Memorial Stadium again, but only when the walls came tumbling down did it strike me that bringing Gopher football home one day would take some doing. The alumni association, determined to make the best of the situation, sold bricks from the demolished structure to raise money for scholarships. But the class of 1942 and the Board of Regents saved the Memorial Stadium Processional Arch. When the McNamara Alumni Center was built on the corner of Oak Street and University Avenue, the arch was reassembled as a full-size icon in the alumni center's Memorial Hall. Since the alumni center opened in 2000, I have watched scores of visitors-especially those in their 60s or older-gaze up at the 55-foot arch in awe and pose for pictures in front of it. That ritual shows the depth of spirit and community that Memorial Stadium instilled in alumni. It is a spirit they wish today's students could feel. Over the past 25 years, I've often been asked, “When is Gopher football going to return to campus?” I now have an answer: fall 2008. A new football stadium-a campus landmark and community gathering spot-has moved closer to becoming a reality thanks to TCF Financial Corporation. This Minnesota company has committed to bringing our team home. Whether you call TCF the spark plug, the linchpin, or a catalyst, the result is the same: TCF has moved this project from an aspiration to a goal within reach. If a major stadium partner had not been found this year, I believe talk of building a shared facility for the Gophers and the Vikings would have been renewed. Such a stadium would be an NFL-style facility and would cost three times what the proposed Gopher-only stadium would cost. Essentially, it would be a property the University would rent out for a few Saturdays each fall, not a stadium that would be the center of campus life. So while it might be melodramatic to call TCF a white knight, it has joined forces with us to build a facility that will meet many University needs for the next half-century and beyond. TCF has made a bold decision at exactly the right time. When the TCF sponsorship was announced, everyone smiled when Gopher football coach Glen Mason told about his first meeting with Bill Cooper, chairman and CEO of TCF, over a round of golf. Mason lost the game and a $7 wager on it. But, in truth, Mason won. He got to talk about the dream of an on--campus Gopher football stadium with a visionary like Cooper. Mason, insisting he never loses on purpose, quipped, “That's the best seven bucks I ever lost.” While corporate naming agreements are a relatively new strategy for the U, partnerships between the University and businesses are not. For many years, corporations have helped the University achieve its mission of academic excellence while helping build pride, spirit, and sense of community. The Cargill Microbial and Plant Genomics building on the St. Paul campus and the Regis Center for Art on the West Bank of the Minneapolis campus are examples of corporations coming forward to fund buildings important to the mission and vitality of the U. The University also has long-term, multipart sponsorship agreements with Coca-Cola and Aramark, and Intercollegiate Athletics works with a number of corporations, including Dodge, Harmon Auto Glass, and Holiday Station Stores. And new college football stadiums and sports arenas across the country are being named for corporate donors. Arizona State University has Wells Fargo Arena, Texas Tech has Jones SBC Stadium, the University of Maryland has Comcast Center Arena, the University of Washington has the Bank of America Arena, Ohio State University has the Value City Arena, and the University of Louisville has Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. When the University's agreement with TCF became public, alumni began asking me a new question: “When can I make a contribution to the stadium?” The good news is that it won't be long. Here's the plan. The University is continuing to work on securing additional corporate sponsors and major individual gifts in the $1 million to $10 million range. When this cornerstone funding is in place, grassroots fund-raising will begin. And the University will embrace and appreciate every single gift. So keep reading Minnesota magazine for more news about bringing Gopher football home. Nostalgia is a good thing. It reminds us what has shaped us and what was important in the past so that we can understand who we are today. While many of us felt great sadness when the wrecking ball hit Memorial Stadium, the bright light that is the McNamara Alumni Center sits on the old stadium site, still home to many Gopher traditions and memories. And in 2008, the new TCF Bank Stadium will inspire new traditions on campus for countless alumni and friends. | |||||||||||||
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