San Jose State Univ. is "planning an unprecedented upgrade of its athletic facilities, including the construction of a football complex next to Spartan Stadium that would feature a tribute to Bill Walsh," an SJSU alum, according to a front-page piece by Jon Wilner of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. In all, "five athletic projects are in various stages of development with a total estimated cost" of $16-20M. At least one "could be used by the public, and all would be privately funded." SJSU AD Tom Bowen called the facility upgrades "absolutely necessary for the future of Spartans athletics, and that's all programs." SJSU "hopes to break ground" on a $10M, 19,000-square-foot football building after the '11 season. The school is "planning to install a state-of-the-art scoreboard in the stadium, possibly in time for the 2011 season, and build new football practice fields in the summer of 2012." There also are plans for a $3-4M fieldhouse. The first floor of the football building "would house the locker room and space for a Spartan athletics Hall of Fame, where the tribute to Walsh would stand." Bowen "declined to state how much of the projected cost of the football building would be needed upfront -- the school is in the process of securing a lead donor -- but a source said the figure could be as much as" 50% (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 2/24).
