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Minnesota State Mankato needs better outdoor athletic facilities

Editorial

Minnesota State Mankato needs better outdoor athletic facilities, and perhaps it should appeal to the Legislature, after students recently voted against using fees to fund improvements.

2007-04-20
An editorial in The Free Press, Mankato, MN [published 4/20/2007]

Maybe some Minnesota State University students just don’t have much team spirit.

The students recently rejected a plan that would boost their student fees up to $130 per year to help pay for new and upgraded athletic facilities. The referendum would have funded $14 million in upgrades to outdoor athletic and recreational facilities. Those upgrades included a bubble doom for an outdoor practice field, synthetic turf for Blakeslee stadium and a new stadium for soccer and track.

But students, who’ve been pummeled with steep tuition increases year after year for several years, voted down the modest fee level by a 56-44 percent margin.

President Richard Davenport has the power to raise fees without a vote but has said he will abide by the student referendum. MSU officials likely will try to rally more support, as a turn around of 300 or so votes would have put the athletic referendum in the winner’s circle.

The vote may have been turned down because students couldn’t see a real benefit to themselves in any of the upgrades. The upgrade certainly would have benefited MSU athletes and bolstered the standing of the athletic department in its recruiting efforts.

The facilities seem worth upgrading. Some of MSU’s track athletes have to practice at colleges up the road or at the local high schools. Blakeslee stadium turf has been mentioned as a problem when the Vikings practice there.

Now, it appears, MSU must pursue other solutions. The athletic facilities seem to be reasonable upgrades for a college of MSU’s size and stature. The alumni and booster clubs may have to be tapped or possibly a large benefactor could chip in.

The university also has been the recipient of a generous Legislature over the years when it upgraded student athletic facilities. While the legislative process takes time, it seems it might be worth pursuing since an upgrade to athletic facilities at a state university would benefit the entire state.

In any case, it’s good to see MSU honoring the vote. It may be foreshadowing things to come when money is tight not only among college students but in many other sectors of society.

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