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More than 2,000 private residents have
donated a total of $81.5 million to help build the new Gopher
football stadium at the University of Minnesota.


      University athletics officials need to raise another $4.5
million in order to reach their private fundraising goal of $86
million toward the project's $288 million total cost.


      But they plan to keep raising money after they hit the goal -
associate athletic director David Crum told the Minnesota Daily
that they'd like to raise another $25 million to replace costs that
would otherwise have to be covered by Athletic Department bonds.


      Avoiding that would leave more money in the department's budget
for all 25 sports programs at the college, Crum said. But the
stadium's inaugural game will go forward Sept. 12 regardless of the
fundraising, he said.


      Some former Gopher football players have been among the private
donors. Bob McNamara, who played running back and defensive end
from 1951 to 1954, gave $15,000 and helped raised another $1
million.


      "I just feel as if there's a way we can do this and do that and
some of our other guys can give back so that we'll be close to our
goal," he said.


      McNamara has raised money for the athletics department for 35
years.


      Following his seven-year professional football career, which
included stints with the Denver Broncos and the Minnesota Vikings,
McNamara opened a restaurant with his brother Richard "Pinky"
McNamara, for whom the McNamara Alumni Center is named.


      A new donor is former Gophers punter Brent Herbel, who played
from 1986-1989 and was an academic all-American. He donated $25,000
for the outdoor stadium, which he believes will benefit the
program.


      "As a punter, the (Metrodome) was perfect, not having to worry
about weather conditions, but that's still no substitute for the
on-campus stadium and the student support," said Herbel, a
physician in Bismarck, N.D. "If you go to any other Big Ten
stadiums where they have that situation, I think that's something
that the university could certainly use."

Information from: The Minnesota Daily, http://www.mndaily.com/

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More than 2,000 private residents have
donated a total of $81.5 million to help build the new Gopher
football stadium at the University of Minnesota.


Gophers close to fundraising goal for new stadium

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