WSU stadium: 3 reasons

Why WSU will get the project done

1. The student referendum provided a much-needed cash boost and it appears that about $22.5 million for the first two phases of construction are secure. That should be enough to complete much of the work planned for the 2006-07 off-season.

2. WSU has moved most of the fan-friendly changes to the front end of the renovation, hoping the obvious benefits to fans (i.e. added restrooms and concessions) will help spark fund-raising for the later phases. To be sure, the omnipresent portable toilets won’t be missed.

3. Athletic director Jim Sterk and his staff have made the stadium upgrade their top priority by many accounts, with multiple staff members dedicating a large percentage of their time to the project. Already WSU has dealt with multiple setbacks adeptly, and that determination could serve it well.

Why WSU won’t get the project done

1. Having $22.5 million is all well and good, but it’s nowhere near the $73-74 million the entire project is expected to cost. Multiple athletic department officials have commented on the “no Phil Knight” syndrome, a reference to the Nike chairman who has donated millions to Oregon’s athletic department. Somewhere, WSU has to find the money and thus far that looks to be a monumental task.

2. Without the donor dollars, a large portion of the financing for the renovation will come from bond issues, a tactic that can be risky and extremely sensitive to outside forces. A dramatic rise in interest rates alone would send the expected cost of the project skyrocketing.

3. WSU’s construction could hamper WSU’s construction. On one side of Martin Stadium the student union is about to undergo a massive renovation. On the other side a bioscience building is slated to be built at the current tennis court site. Three major projects occurring simultaneously could prove a resource drain, particularly when it comes to finding enough labor to work on all three sites.

Glenn Kasses, staff writer