Wisconsin state Rep. John Nygren, co-Chair of the state Legislature's Joint Finance Committee, yesterday said that he believes the Bucks owners "should contribute more than” the $150M they have already pledged toward a new arena. In Milwaukee, Don Walker noted committee co-Chair Sen. Alberta Darling “was more circumspect.” Darling said that legislators and the committee “needed more information.” Darling: “We would love to have more money. But we're very concerned about how much this arena will cost and where it will be located" (JSONLINE.com, 3/2).
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL: NASCAR Exec VP & Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O'Donnell said Jeff Gordon's wreck during Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Atlanta "was just another reminder of how important" the development of SAFER barriers is to the governing body. O'Donnell told SiriusXM Radio that NASCAR had “dispatched staff members to the West Coast" for upcoming races. NBCSPORTS.com's Nate Ryan noted tire barriers were “erected along the interior pit lane walls" in Atlanta after Kyle Busch's crash at Daytona (NBCSPORTS.com, 3/2).
KNIGHT MOVES: In Newark, Keith Sargeant notes Rutgers Univ. President Robert Barchi responded to state Sen. Raymond Lesniak yesterday, “issuing a two-page letter that acknowledged the need to upgrade the men's basketball facilities while stating the financial obstacles involved in the plan.” Lesniak in a letter last week told Barchi the upgrades “will cost” $30M. Barchi in his response wrote “the actual cost” for an upgraded facility “would be many times higher than that figure” (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 3/3).
VISION QUEST: Iowa State Univ. will install a new Daktronics LED video display and LED ribbon displays at Jake Brice Stadium to be completed this summer. The main display will measure approximately 36 feet high by 79 feet wide and will feature a 15HD pixel layout. In addition to the main display, ISU also will install two ribbon displays that will each measure approximately 4 feet high by 623 feet wide (Daktronics).
