Stadium Blog Post

May 11, 2006
Pioneer Press
By Charley Walters

If the University of Minnesota needs to seal a deal for a new on-campus football stadium, that should get done today when Tony Dungy arrives in town to speak on behalf of his alma mater.

The university couldn't have a classier or better representative than Dungy, a former Gophers quarterback who is head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.

"My message will be that I know it's difficult putting these stadium deals together," Dungy said Wednesday from Indianapolis. "We actually went through two of these deals; we got one done in Tampa when I was there (as Bucs head coach), and we're in the process of building one here.

"I know it's tricky getting it financed. But from the students' standpoint and the athletes' standpoint, it's really neat to have that type of facility to play in, and I think being on campus again would be a big, big plus. That's what I'm going to talk about.

"I don't know the ins and outs of how they're trying to finance it, and that's probably not my department. But I'll just try to let everybody know how much it does mean to the athletes."

Dungy played for the Gophers on campus in Memorial Stadium. His last season was 1976.

To read more, go to http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/14549694.htm