THE POSITIONAL ARMS RACE GOES ON.

Northern Illinois president John Peters sees a dream become concrete.

Ultimately, Peters thought that if NIU was going to be serious about its sports, the school would need an indoor practice facility to shield itself from the weather and give teams other training options. A building that would benefit each of NIU's athletic programs.

Saturday was another step in Peters' vision becoming a reality, with the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Kenneth and Ellen Chessick Practice Center, which will be built on the field north of the Jeffrey and Kimberly Yordon Center.

Donors have contributed all but $800K of the building's estimated construction cost, $9.5m.

I suppose the academic departments ought to do their own capital campaigns, in order to deal with roof leaks and crumbling concrete and worn-out ceilings.

"We have high expectations because private donors are investing a lot of money, it's a priority with the university," Peters said. "We want competitive programs that draw interest.

"Nothing spreads the word nationally to young people, across the country, like athletics."

Maybe.  Boise State comes up in the enthusiasm.  A post on a prior football achievement offers background on what Boise has to offer in the library and the classroom.  Suffice it to say that new quarters for the theater program and a new concert hall and more visibility for the faculty might also bring in those out-of-state students the university seeks to attract.