The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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volves cash, Brandon acknowledged. "We've done a great job with some Doing what he wants to do in- of our facilities that impact some of our sports and some of our student- athletes," he noted. "But we have a number of our sports and student- athletes that still are not having what I consider to be the real Michigan experience, in terms of where they're practicing and where they're compet- ing on our athletic campus. "We've worked hard to put a plan to- gether that is still very much in rough draft form. But what we know about that plan is, it's going to be expensive. Building buildings and expanding buildings is certainly not cheap." Michigan's Board of Regents has already approved $9 million in reno- vations to Schembechler Hall. Get- ting that job accomplished stands high on Brandon's list, along with providing lacrosse facilities and a field hockey venue. Michigan is also seeking to move the softball coaches into offices at Alumni Field. video boards into other athletic ven- ues, generating the sort of excitement and game-day experience he desires across the board. "Track and field is a huge area of Brandon is looking to install more fied when the financial support al- lows it to happen. "The only way we get there is to focus for us," he said. "To a large degree, when we solve the track and field issue, it will open up the oppor- tunity to solve several other issues. We have swimming needs, parking needs. Keen Arena is too small, and not really well suited for our vol- leyball program and our gymnastics program. We've got a solution for that. ments are all interrelated, because they have to be sequenced. We have to move one before we can start on another project. That's what we're working through right now — what is the most logical sequence? Clearly, we know the programs that have the greatest needs, and we're going to do our best to satisfy those needs." And again, needs can only be satis- "These various moves and invest- connect better with our donors, to convince our donors that we have a purpose here, in terms of what we're trying to provide these student-ath- letes," Brandon said. "There is a fair- ness issue, to make sure all of these sports — our women's sports, our Olympic sports, our men's sports — get a similar experience, in terms of the facilities they have to operate in. "That's going to take a considerable amount of money. You're not going to be able to go out and raise that money unless you have the development team in place that allows you to spread out and contact all of those donors and send the message. That's been a huge area of investment for us." Change on State Street (and be- yond) these days remains constant and often dramatic. They're still sing- ing the fight song, but doing so in a host of varied fashions … even at night. ❑ Brandon has been heavily involved in the final stages of the roughly $100-million Crisler Center project, as well as a Yost Field House overhaul and the installation of $18 million worth of video boards at Michigan Stadium, Crisler and Yost. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL AUGUST 2012 THE WOLVERINE 55