I agree - $500 million is a ton of money. Especially if it is to be raised in such a short amount of time. There must be one or two major gifts that will kick this campaign off.
There is a great deal of discussion regarding UND's ability to fund the move to DI athletics (especially from SU fans) and I have been very concerned about this as well. If we make the move, we need to do it "right". To do it "right", it will take a lot of money - especially considering UND's remote location, cost of recruiting, travel, etc. However, I understand from pretty reliable sources that some major commitments were made before the decision was made. I think there are some UND football alumni who have agreed to assist in a big way if we made the move.
As mentioned elsewhere today, the upcoming Facilities Report may also be quite interesting. I believe it will include an indoor track/practice facility that would be built quite soon. Obviously, the money for that would be over and above what anyone was donating to an Athletic endowment and normal contributions to the Fighting Sioux Club.
Our SU fans who continue to find time to post on this site will likely continue to voice their concern about our ability to fund DI but it may not be quite the huge challenge that they envision.
And before anyone jumps to the conclusion that I am implying that the vast majority of this endowment would be for athletics, I am sure that will not be the case but I bet a significant chunk of it will be earmarked for sports.
One other factor that many may not be grasping, UND's decision to wait an extra year was primarily based on the fact that it would allow one extra year of fundraising before the higher expenses truly hit. They had already mailed out all of the Fighting Sioux Club membership info for this school year - at the same level to donations per category as last year. You can bet that the donation levels will go up substantially next year. This will help provide a "cushion" for 2008-9!