The Univ. of Michigan athletics department will "seek approval this week" from the Board of Regents for a proposed $168M project that "calls for wide-ranging upgrades, as well as the construction of a lacrosse stadium," according to Angelique Chengelis of the DETROIT NEWS. Funding "will be provided" from a $100M donation from Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross and from athletic department resources and gifts. The Regents meet Thursday. Ross made a $200M donation to the university last fall, with $100M "to be designated for athletics" and $100M to the Ross School of Business. The project, designed to "improve facilities for a number of athletes from the men’s and women’s programs in track, cross country, soccer, lacrosse and the women’s rowing program," will be named the Stephen M. Ross Athletic Campus. It will "involve the construction of 310,000 square feet of space for the future homes for all those sports and athletes" (DETROIT NEWS, 9/16). In Detroit, Mark Snyder notes the project has "evolved from a number of potential smaller projects into one large facility with shared resources." There will be an "indoor track venue for 2,000 fans and for 1,000 at an outdoor facility, a lacrosse stadium to hold 3,000 fans, and a 'consolidated performance team center' that will have specialized team spaces while sharing the strength, athletic training, meeting and locker room areas." Part of the "intent is to be able to host regional and national competitions" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 9/16). In Michigan, Jeremy Allen notes in addition to the sport-specific renovations, university officials said that a "consolidated performance center would be more cost-effective to provide specialized team spaces and shared resources for strength and conditioning, athletic medicine, a performance lab, meeting space and locker rooms" (MLIVE.com, 9/16).
