Pat Stryker’s lack of financial support is stryke one for the CSU on campus stadium

Opinion | 8 months ago

At this point in the process of CSU building an on-campus stadium, we can likely rule out that it’ll be called Stryker Stadium. A mere 24 hours after President Tony Frank green-lit CSU’s on-campus stadium, local billionaire philanthropist Pat Stryker released a statement saying that she hasn’t —and might not — help fund the project. [...]

Pat Stryker’s lack of financial support is stryke one for the CSU on campus stadium

The Collegian Editorial Board
Advanced-editor

October 3, 2012

At this point in the process of CSU building an on-campus stadium, we can likely rule out that it’ll be called Stryker Stadium.

A mere 24 hours after President Tony Frank green-lit CSU’s on-campus stadium, local billionaire philanthropist Pat Stryker released a statement saying that she hasn’t —and might not — help fund the project.

This isn’t good news for Frank’s massive undertaking, and a bad omen for the future of CSU’s on-campus stadium.

Stryker is a Fort Collins resident who is on the Forbes list of the richest Americans (her net worth is a cool $1.4 billion) and just so happens to be one of CSU’s biggest private financial backers.

Her list of donations — that add up to more than $30 million for CSU — is huge, as you can see from our front-page story. In 2003, she pledged $15.2 million to help spruce up Hughes — the very stadium Frank wants to retire.

Essentially, Stryker’s influence on this university and this community is immense. One could even argue that she runs this town.

In Frank’s email on Monday, he made it clear that an on-campus stadium wouldn’t be in the cards unless he could get a minimum of $125 million in funding from private philanthropists. It would be a pretty safe bet to say Frank was hoping to knock on Stryker’s door.

Stryker’s choice to possibly not give money to a university that she has historically doted upon could have a long list of implications. Does she not approve of the project? Does she want to see Hughes stick around? We may not know — Stryker is known to stay out of the limelight.

What we do know is that this statement doesn’t bode well symbolically — as well as financially — for the future of an on-campus stadium.

Hopefully we won’t start catching Frank at plasma donation centers around town as he makes up for the loss.

http://notifyfortcollins.com/ Notify Fort Collins

I think you poorly framed her letter. http://www.coloradoan.com/assets/pdf/G2195330102.PDF Though she clarified she hasn’t yet committed, she hinted toward a strong trust for Dr. Frank and left the door open to donations.

This wasn’t a condemnation letter as you implied, rather it was a clarification after she was likely repeatedly asked by the Coloradoan and several other parties for statements whether she’d agreed to donate or not. Ms. Stryker is as savvy businesswoman and if she asks for the supporting documentation and they’ve made a convincing case, she’ll donate.

I would have to assume the overall sentiment from the op-ed board on the on-campus stadium was biased, just based on what I’ve read here. Just a suggestion, but better argumentation, less baseless assumption would strengthen the Collegian Editorial Board’s position.

The statement in support of Dr. Frank seems to contradict the overall tone of your editorial in this case. Nonetheless, I love you all.
Joe_D_Messina

No doubt Ms. Stryker is savvy…which is why the timing and wording of her announcement speaks volumes. It’s a public announcement from one of the university’s largest benefactors that she’s not involved, released precisely as Dr. Frank is trying to launch fundraising efforts. If she was even on the fence about the idea, she’d have said nothing at all rather than releasing a statement that would be viewed as raining on the parade. She’s no fool; she knew exactly how this would be perceived.
Thomas Creo

Tony Frank squandered the millions that Stryker poured into Hughes over the last few years.
Gandalf*

did deeper; look into Waldorf schools; look at how secret societies work; this will explain a bunch as AD is former chair. This is about more than $$ / football….. are you going to just sit there? I say let’s get this project stopped soon…. let’s get real…..

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