Fundraising ramps up

Since the announcement that David Backes was donating $100,000 to Minnesota State's strength and conditioning room, two more major gifts to the campaign to finish off the new hockey center at the Verizon Wireless Center have been announced, pledges of $15,000 and $35,000. 

Including an initial $50,000 gift, that's at least $200,000 (announced donations, anyway) of the $800,000 or so MSU is seeking for the project, which is going to furnishings, fixtures and equipment for the area the Mavericks men's and women's teams will call home.

The fundraising was the subject of my column in today's Free Press, which you can read here.

If done right, coaches and other officials hope the efforts can be a sustaining campaign, one that would allow for other "competitive needs," such as cost-of-attendance allowance now approved by the NCAA and summer aid.