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New TCF Bank stadium: Back to the future

Financial benefits

The move is about more than tailgating and making warm, fuzzy memories. College football is big business, and school officials expect TCF Bank Stadium to generate about $3.3 million more in annual revenue than the Metrodome.

The Gophers ranked ninth in the Big Ten in football revenue in 2006 (the most recent data available) at $17.3 million

There's also the fact that having a successful athletic program can help the academic side with fundraising. One extreme is Ohio State's athletic program making so much money they're giving part of their revenue to academic programs at OSU, though schools often have more donations to the school (not the athletic department) when their football or basketball teams have successful season. President Bruininks realizes the impact that having a successful athletic program can have on the academic goals of the university.

University President Robert Bruininks, who spearheaded stadium efforts, almost always talks about the stadium within the context of the school's overall academic mission. The two are intertwined, he said, noting the school has raised about $45 million in donations that will be earmarked for academics as a direct result of fundraising for the stadium.

"It's a critical link between the stadium and the academic interests," Bruininks said.