Jeremy: Gopher Stadium Talk

Despite playing in a major Division I conference, while operating like they have a Division II budget and a Division III athletic department, the state seems to be supporting the future of Gopher Football, and Gopher Athletics as a whole.
To quote the Star Tribune....
"...the House on Thursday evening overwhelmingly approved the University of Minnesota's request for financing help for an on-campus football stadium."
It seems that the people of Minnesota and the politicians in Minnesota support the Gopher sports programs as a healthy and important part, and financial support, of the educational process at the University.
This is a pretty exciting development. My aunt and uncle and several of their friends have called the Metrodome their fall home for Gopher Football games since the Dome opened in 1982. My uncle has told me that at the time everyone was excited about the Dome. The idea of sitting indoors in comfort to watch a football game was an attractive one to everybody.
It seems that now, over 20 seasons later, everyone is starting to realize that the Gophers never should have been a part of the home teams at the Metrodome. College football requires atmosphere, history, a ground-swell of support from students able to walk from their dorms to the stadium on a Saturday morning. College football isn't about putting teams into a neat little box that we can all get our hands around. College football is about passion, about pride in your state and about the game, not the players.
It's apparent that the state taxpayers and legislators are beginning to understand this sentiment.
Wouldn't it be nice if the University athletic department and administration could begin to understand that too?