By Heather Allen
A plan that could boost school spirit and shave hours off athletes’ daily commute will be unveiled Thursday. The plan is for an all-purpose facility, otherwise known as “the stadium.”
Northeastern Athletics Director David O’Brien and Vice President for Student Affairs Ed Klotzbier will present a model of the facility as well as tentative plans for the structure at the Student Government Association’s Senate meeting during activities period.
“We’ve heard over and over again from students how much they want a facility on campus. It should boost school spirit and should help us build community, and we’re very excited about this potential project,” VP Klotzbier said. “I hope this enthusiasm is shared by the entire Senate.”
Although momentum around the stadium has been growing, there is one thing holding up construction — money.
President Richard Freeland said the university will ask the students to contribute one-third of the money necessary to complete the project, while donated funds from alumni and corporate sponsors will make up the other two-thirds.
“We’re still working on it. The primary issue with the stadium remains a lead gift,” President Freeland said in a meeting with The News earlier this month.
Sources have told The News that in order to come up with the additional funding from students, the sports pass, now $35 a semester, may be made mandatory. The fee, which is currently waivable, may also be increased, possibly to $100 a year, like the Student Activities Fee, a source said.
Although present at a meeting with senior administrators about the stadium, SGA VP for Financial Affairs Michael Benson said he is unsure about the adjustment to the sports pass.
“I think if that was going to happen, I don’t know if it is or if it isn’t, I don’t even know if it’s being considered, if it was going to happen then I would hope that there would be a definite benefit to students … immediately visible,” Benson said. “Let’s say the sports pass was $100, what else would that money do? I would hope that that sports pass would also go to campus rec, club sports, something else. Some-thing so those of us who are here now, that obviously will not feel the effect of a multi-purpose field on campus would at least be able to have something.”
Preliminary plans call for a capacity of about 8,400 and a price tag of about $35 million said AD O’Brien. O’Brien said he has heard that administrators and students have discussed the possibility of adjusting a fee in order to gain full funding for the facility. O’Brien said he is unsure as to how much money the students may be asked to contribute.
“If there is a fee, which I hope there won’t be, but if there is, I would hope that the student body would be at least understanding of it,” Benson said.
When asked what would improve athletics and recreational resources, O’Brien always answers, “an on-campus facility” but he also emphasized a stadium can benefit the entire student population.
“This is a great way to bring alumni back to campus,” he said.
Many athletes, especially those who practice at Parsons Field, will also benefit from an on-campus facility.
O’Brien said that two to three hours are added to athletes’ days in commute time alone when shuttling back and forth to Parsons. O’Brien said with a facility at their fingertips, student athletes may be able to take more time to focus on their needs as students — eating, sleeping and homework. Campus recreation and club sports would also benefit from the space as well, he added.
Klotzbier said student backing for this project could be what the university needs to get the final push from donors.
“If the SGA and the student body get behind a project like this, hopefully it will lead to more donors, more alumni giving and more sponsors, to bring this to a reality,” he said.
O’Brien said he is hopeful and he and others within athletics are “excited.”
“This is maybe the first piece to the puzzle to legitimize the university as a residential campus and the last piece of the puzzle is an on-campus, all purpose facility,” he said.
