University of Minnesota regents givs final approval for $166 million Athletes

Regents approved the plan despite a shortfall in fundraising.

The University of Minnesota has cleared the way to start construction on a $166 million Athletes Village expected to open by January 2018.

“Today is a wonderful day for the University of Minnesota and for Gopher Athletics”, said University President Eric Kaler.

The project has been delayed for months over concerns about costs and that the facility would run afoul of gender-equity laws.

Also Friday, regents agreed to set a $20 million budget placeholder for a new track somewhere on the U’s East Bank campus.

“I’m confident we have momentum, and this will grow”, he said.

The regents said the Athletes Village is a necessary upgrade to the university’s “third-rate” facilities that will help improve recruiting, the Associated Press reported.

“I believe that outreach is a critical part of what the University needs to do, and Gopher Athletics plays a big part in reaching people throughout the state and beyond”, said Johnson. When courting high school players, Kill said, a program’s practice facility and amenities are the first topic of conversation. The university usually secures 80 percent of fundraising before starting construction, but not this time.

The Bierman Field Athletic Building and the Gibson-Nagurski complex are among the existing buildings that will be renovated for more practice space, meeting rooms and more.

The 320,000-square-foot “Athletics Village” will introduce three new buildings, including an indoor football practice facility, a basketball practice facility and the “Football Performance Center, ‘ expanding the current athletics headquarters along 15th Avenue near the Minneapolis campus”.

A complaint about the track teams’ displacement sparked a current Title IX investigation by the federal Office for Civil Rights, which is examining whether the U is treating its women athletes equitably. Almost $90 million will be borrowed and repaid by the athletics department.