TEMPE, Ariz. -- Publicly funded stadiums are a hot button topic in professional and college athletics. Arizona State president Michael Crow and Vice President for University Athletics Ray Anderson are keenly sensitive to that reality.
"The fact of the matter is, we're in an environment where public funds for what some people think might be luxury -- you're just not going to get it in this day and time," Anderson said. "In order to do it you go out and essentially pay for it yourself."
That was the objective when Arizona State started its fund raising efforts to reinvent Sun Devil Stadium without the use of tuition money or taxpayer money. One year into that initiative, Sun Devil Athletics is more than halfway to its goal of $85 million in private donations and income from premium suites and seating.
Anderson announced at a press conference Tuesday at the Dutson Theater that Sun Devil Athletics has already raised $45.3 million for the project. In addition, benefactors have made gift commitments totaling $20 million in support of the Sun Devil Athletics endowment. Anderson said the gifts have come in a variety of sizes, but six donors who have requested anonymity donated in excess of $10 million each to the project.
"What's important for folks to understand is that every dollar contributed toward the project is important, whether it's $10 or $100 or $100,000 or $500,000," said Anderson, who joined football coach Todd Graham in giving $500,000 each to kick off the Coach's Club premium seating section. "If it's within your means and you can contribute, it really does make an impact."
Phase I of the project was completed this week in time for the Sun Devils' home opener against Cal Poly on Saturday at 8 p.m. It will feature additional concessions, additional restrooms, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act ) compliant seating and upgraded amenities like Wi-Fi that will eventually be incorporated into the entire stadium as the second and third phases are completed.
The new, 6,500-seat student section at the south end features permanent seating that closes in the lower bowl in one contiguous circle. The new section provides more intimate interaction with the team as it exits and enters the Tillman Tunnel.
"There's really no limit to the upgrades we can do once we get the bones of the stadium in," ASU Executive Director of Capital Management Projects Bruce Jensen said. "We're taking the lessons we learned from the old stadium and applying them to the new stadium so that when it's finished, we'll have a 100-year stadium that can be used for so many more things than football."
In order to get there, an additional $39.7 million must be raised, but Anderson expressed confidence that will happen quickly.
"My personal goal is to have the fundraising completed by the end of the 2016 season so that when we go into 2017 we will be complete and then soaring past that goal," he said. "That means we will have additional opportunities to invest in our programs and our student-athletes in all the right ways."
Dan Saftig, Chief Development Officer for the ASU Foundation, said the response from the ASU community is unprecedented. Sun Devil Athletics raised?a school record $86.68 million in donations for the 2014-15 fiscal year. The total includes a school record $32 million from Don Mullett and another donor to elevate hockey from club to NCAA Division I status while adding two women’s sports.
"Sun Devils Athletics has never seen these numbers before or this level of support so it's a great indicator of the momentum that the university and Sun Devil Athletics are enjoying," he said. "It starts with the leadership from President Crow and his vision for the New American University, but also his embrace of athletics and the role that athletics play in a large public university like this.
"The campaign for the Sun Devil Stadium reinvention is one that marshals the troops. There is purpose, there is a case for why people should consider supporting it, there is an end line goal that motivates people and there are volunteers involved, talking it up in their spheres of influence. Having a great menu of opportunity to talk to prospective donors is important and this is a great example of that."
Anderson said the increased support is a product of hard work, newly forged relationships within the community and an elevated perception of the university and Sun Devil Athletics.
"The fact that we're halfway through [fundraising] in only a year is a real tribute to what our sales people are doing and what our donor folks are doing and what our development folks are doing," Anderson said. "I also think it's indicative of kind of the new belief in and around this Valley that this is real. This isn't a false start. This isn't a giant that wants to continue to sleep.
"We're up, we're active and were running around the Valley and we're going to get it done. We'll get to the number and very frankly beyond it because it's the right thing to do and people want to be part of what's right for their community."