NamelessHusker
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[SIZE=14pt]Husker fund-raising effort gains steam[/SIZE]
BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
Signs point to the Nebraska athletic facilities’ fund-raising campaign experiencing an upswing. How much and when remain to be seen, but at least two well-known donors indicated plans are in the works for major contributions. “We’ll comment on gifts when the time is right,” Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman said Wednesday.
Calls to several major donors turned up no specifics, but Howard Hawks of Omaha and Dan Cook of Dallas indicated they are either on the verge of making sizable donations or made them recently.
“I’m just going to ask you to be patient,” Hawks said.
Although Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson hasn’t released exact figures recently, between $16 million and $22 million is believed to have been raised and/or pledged since the plan to upgrade facilities was unveiled in November of 2003.
Work continues on the $50 million project, expected to be completed this summer.
The last major donation came from Charles and Romona Myers, who donated $5 million in December of 2004.
Charles Myers, reached at his winter home in Scottsdale, Ariz., said he wouldn’t be surprised if the number of private donations increases in coming months in part because of Nebraska’s recent football success.
The Huskers finished the season with a three-game winning streak, pushing their record to 8-4 after a 5-6 mark in 2004
“Honest to God, I think people will pitch in,” said Myers, noting that the last part of his donation was received by NU last month. “Some people maybe thought all the changes in the football program (two years ago) were the wrong thing to do initially. But now it looks like they were the right thing. I think all the naysayers will want to be friends again.
“Let me ask you: If you and I started a company from scratch, don’t you think there would be a few wrinkles at first?”
Hawks, whose donation in March of 2000 enabled the Haymarket Park project to proceed as scheduled, has taken a patient approach to the football program’s development since Bill Callahan took over as head coach in January of 2004.
“When he came on board,” Hawks said, “I told myself I’m going
to watch and be relaxed about it until 2007, then I’ll look to see if we’re getting back to the course where we had a history of being.”
Lincoln native Dale Jensen, part- owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Phoenix Suns, said Nebraska’s strong finish in football will help fund raising but that success next season might also be vital. Jensen said he is optimistic about Callahan and company.
“There has been a continued progression of improvement,” Jensen said.
Nebraska’s fund-raising efforts started slowly, falling far short of Pederson’s original goal to have
$20 million raised by the end of 2003. The athletic director said the coaching change prevented him from putting more time into the fund drive.
The slow start necessitated the Nebraska Board of Regents, of which Hawks is chairman, to issue bonds in April 2004 to ensure payment of the project.
Jensen donated early in the process and hasn’t been asked for more money, he said.
“If they felt they were in trouble, I think I would’ve heard from them again,” he said.
Said Perlman: “It’s not, or ever been, in a state of crisis.”
Pederson emphasized the importance of smaller contributions and said he’s been encouraged by fans’ willingness to make donations as part of the purchase of tickets in the new North Stadium seating section. He said the amount of giving has been steady and not necessarily tied to the football team’s late-season surge.
“We’ve got some neat things going on,” Pederson said, “but I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.”
A group of Nebraska officials, including Perlman, are scheduled to travel to Dallas next week to meet with Cook, whose family donation made possible the Cook Pavilion indoor football practice facility on the NU campus.
“They’ll be talking to me about a lot of things, including a discussion about (the athletic fund drive),” Cook said Wednesday.
Cook has said his donation to the fund drive will be in the form of a “challenge grant.” In other words, Cook will give a certain amount of money after a certain amount is raised.
The 70-year-old Cook continues to stress the importance of maintaining strong athletic facilities. His close friend, 77-year-old Oklahoma State alum T. Boone Pickens, recently donated $165 million to OSU’s athletic program.
“It just tells you Oklahoma State will get stronger and stronger,” said Cook, who sat with Pickens’ wife at a recent White House function. “We have a good coaching staff and good fans at Nebraska.
“But we’re not the only great facility out there anymore. And getting players to come to Nebraska, you have to have something a little extra special.”
Sports editor John Mabry contributed to this report
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