Mark when you came here seven years ago, I, like you said, just *** few minutes ago, you said you're gonna make it happen. Uh fast forward to now, you seem to be making things happen. Yeah, we're making it happen. I've, I've always said uh Sacramento is *** great sports city. Um The support that this city has had for the Sacramento Kings ever since I was uh being *** native, since I was *** little at the old Arco. Um to now I go to one center to see what happens with the, with the River Cats and the Republic and uh uh future of the Sacramento A's uh uh being here. Um There's no reason why Sacramento State can't also um uh generate the support and the fandom that we've seen in, in, in this city and it's happening and I, I could be more proud and, and excited to be, to lead it and be part of it. Two different things going on right now. There's *** stadium proposal, plans, vision and then of course, an F BS dream start with *** stadium. Is this gonna happen without an F BS conference? Yes, absolutely. Um So I would tell you, um, you know, um our stadium was, was constructed in 1969 at the time it was 6000 seats. It's hosted so many different things. Martin Luther King spoke at Hornet Stadium. Um, back in the 19 sixties, we've hosted us Olympic trials. We've had um the Sacramento surge, the Gold Miners, the Mountain Lions. Um We've had several Causeway Classics commencements at the same time. We have thank thank God for the late great Fred Anderson. We have temporary bleachers um that are put up. Um We have temporary restrooms for fans to use. We have temporary concessions and we're better than that. And, and now is the time um to, to build *** stadium that's worthy of our community that's worthy of our students. And, and the stadium uh plan is, is for that first and foremost uh conference affiliation and F BS that's secondary to our students and to our community. And the stadium's been *** need for *** long, long time. I'm uh very, very proud it's gonna happen. Um It's gonna happen no matter if we're playing division three, division one high school and it's gonna happen for Sacramento State students and for our community with that. Is there *** budget, is there *** number right now? Uh uh an uh *** cost estimate. Um We're working on that. Um We do have, uh we do have *** uh we released yesterday some uh very preliminary schematic conceptual designs um, that gives an idea of the type of stadium. Um, uh, uh, we're considering, um, there are some tweaks and some more work. We're gonna need to continue to work on to, to tighten that up once we have *** design that we feel comfortable with, um, we will get the, the, the hard estimate and, uh, and finance it. So we've had folks say to us, you know, I buy *** car, I know how much it costs. I buy *** home, I know how much it costs. You're gonna buy *** stadium. Do you guys have any kind of ballpark number where your, where your range is, is looking? Yeah, II, I would say we obviously know um just from comparables within the state of California, what uh uh what *** 25,000 seat stadium cost. And, and, and quite frankly, I'll give you an example, San Diego State uh built one now, theirs was 35,000 seats um and theirs was just between 253 $100 million at the, at the end of the day. Um So I'm not sure exactly where ours would fall. We're looking at 25,000. Um Again, we'll get to um the schematics and, and getting into the details and have *** number, we are confident that we will have the funding mechanisms in place. Uh The funding mechanisms are not university general funds that are gonna take away from academic programs or student programs on campus. These are all dedicated funds for athletics and uh with tho with those fundings and since we announced the stadium, uh we've gotten so many additional support of, of, of folks out in the Sacramento community who wanna help, who wanna contribute. So I have no doubts. This will be funded and it will happen. You mentioned San Diego State. Doctor Wood has ties, there is, is Snap Dragon Stadium, any kind of uh model for this vision and, and the way that they use that facility as well. Yeah, we'd be foolish not to, to look at Snap Dragon Stadium. It's *** beautiful venue. Um It was recently done here in California. Um We uh uh San Diego State has done *** terrific terrific job. It is used in *** lot of the ways that we, we think that we're gonna use our stadium, obviously, first and foremost for our students and our football team, our rugby team, our recreation uh programs, but also bringing concerts and shows in um having professional sports, professional organizations that may want to use it. High school football, um the CIF state title games, uh sack Joaquin. I'm *** big high school football fan here in Sacramento. How awesome would it be to have high school football here at Sac State? So I think there's *** lot of uses, obviously, first and foremost Sacramento State, but beyond our borders and San Diego State has done *** very, very good job at Snapdragon utilizing it now way I know you've, you, you've come from, you know, you cal and whatnot and, and big schools do F BS schools typically say if you guys do go F BS do F BS school schools typically host outside events. Yeah, all the time. Um Obviously, San Diego State is *** perfect example uh of doing that. Cal Berkeley where I, I went to school um has done that as well. So, um so certainly in ***, in *** market like Sacramento, we're *** top 20 DM Maine in ***, in *** nation and 2.5 million people um live here one out of every 17 residents of Sacramento or Sacramento State alums. So we would be irresponsible if we didn't um embrace our community. Uh 25,000 seat stadium. I think the closest one to us that's an outdoor venue is Oakland Coliseum. Um And there's not any venue like this within, within our region. Um So, of course, we are, we are certainly gonna try to uh uh uh support other organizations and groups in Sacramento and bring shows and those types of things to benefit our community. Is there talk at all to, you know, 25,000 on, on the scale of an FBF school pac 12 schools. It's on *** smaller scale of that. Um Is there *** chance that it might see more? Absolutely. I, I think we've been very clear, it's *** minimum of of 25,000. Um that said the the priority, first and foremost is our students and *** fan experience. You want *** stadium where you're close to the action, you have good seats, good audio visual, great concessions, uh merchandise, uh easy ingress and egress, uh parking. So we really wanna make it. Uh it's more important than the number of seats is the experience of the fan or the customer or the student attending *** game. *** positive one. And, and the focus on the design will be that the funding you guys mentioned, student fees, can you define what those student fees would be? Folks tend to think tuition immediately. Yeah. So the way students fees are structured at, at Sacramento State, most uh CS U systems, there are student fees allocated for specific areas. So in our case, there is ***, there is *** dedicated student fee for intercollegiate athletics and that student fee has been in place for over 30 years recently. That fee was increased um uh by another $75.75 dollars per term that is 100% dedicated for improvement to athletic facilities. So when we say student fees, it's not student fees that can be used for anything on campus is student fees that are already earmarked and dedicated um to athletic uh facility usage. And, and that's the fees that we would use. And back in 2004, the vision was to have the Well, the student union and then of course, *** basketball arena, fast forward to 2014 funds run out. Students have *** vote. They nixed that idea. No. Arena is being built for the student's perspective. When they say we've had several, there was no vote on this. We didn't get *** say on this arena. Different presidents. I get that. Uh, what would you say to the students that, you know, possibly that wouldn't, that didn't get *** vote, but, you know, might possibly have those fees. Yeah. II, I would say that that process went, went through, uh, uh, alternative consultation process went through over the summer. Um, it got significant student feedback and it wasn't just an intercollegiate athletic fee. There were several fees that were, um, implemented. Um, and, um, I, I would say to those students, I hope at least I can speak for the intercollegiate athletic fee. We're implementing these fees to benefit all students and it's not just the student athletes and the football team. So you'll see, for instance, if we use some of this fee to support *** stadium, this stadium is gonna be available to all students. That's why you hear us say we're gonna use it for rugby. That's why you see us say we're gonna use it for in the middle and club sports. That's why you hear us, uh, commit that. We're gonna have the best student section in the, in the nation and really invest time into that. Why we're gonna do commencements, convocations, bring concerts and things for students to use. So the hope is is that the student fee, um that goes in include athletics certainly is gonna benefit the, the athletic teams, of course. But also we're gonna do everything possibly um to benefit all students and, and hopefully our students take advantage of it. We've also made *** commitment that uh students will always be able to attend athletic events for free. Um, we don't charge students for going to games and I won't charge even with the new stadium, we're not gonna charge students um coming to games for free and we've made the commitment even recent graduates for up to three years, we'll get *** free ticket um, to come in the athletic event. So our hope is that the student fee, uh, for intercollegiate athletics is ***, is *** benefit to all students if they choose to use it. Doctor Wood said, uh, multi sport facility, uh, football, obviously, if it's turf, it's gonna be lines. Does that? Where does soccer play? And, and have you guys thought about those kind of things? Yeah. Um, we haven't determined whether or not we're gonna use synthetic for natural, um, uh grass. I think that will depend on ***, as we get into the, uh, the full design, we're in *** conceptual phase now as we get into the, the full design. Um, what are the options there? Um, we're gonna try to use the venue for, you know, all the different sports. Certainly. We mentioned rugby and soccer and football for sure. So, um, um, so, yeah, that, that's, that's how I would say that. So, still, still infancy stages there on that. Yeah. Yes. Yes. Yes. Traffic infrastructure. It goes to 25,000. You guys have set, I think about 23,000 for the playoff game. Uh Traffic Infrastructure. Is that gonna be *** factor? I, I'm, I'm sure we'll have to do some studying on, on, on traffic egress, uh ingress. Uh And that will come as we get into design and construction schedules and all those types of things. Now, I would say, uh the capacity, as you mentioned, we have 23,000 um people the last time we hosted UC Davis here for the Causeway Classic with us. Um uh with building *** 25,000 seat venue, it's not *** big difference um in terms of, in terms of capacity. Um Now that said, uh traffic in California continues to uh to rise and I commute here. Um As well. I am confident that our parking here on campus is plentiful and uh I, I do feel we have good solutions uh for traffic. Uh Have you have let go to the, the, the conference kind of thing? Your relationship with the commissioner Gold has that has, have you guys had conversations that you could share, you know? Um No, to be quite, quite honest with you. We've been focused just on, uh, on Sacramento State. So I know I get *** lot of questions about conference affiliation and, and, and it's understandable what's happening in the, in collegiate athletics right now is, gosh, it's, it's never happened before. Um, so over the last five years there's been so much conference realignment. I was sharing with you earlier being *** former Cal Bear, I can't believe, you know, CAL football is, is in the Atlantic Coast Conference and playing Clemson and in Florida State. And you know, and that's just, it's mind boggling um to me, so I wish I had *** crystal ball to determine what it means for sack State in terms of conference affiliation. I do know this. We need to invest in our student athletes in our infrastructure and our facilities and, and continue to do what's what's best for us and what that means if, if there are, if there's *** day that we become an F BS institution. Um I don't know. Um We're very proud members of the, of the Big Sky Conference. We've been members for 26 years. We enjoy our partnership and competing against UC Davis in Montana. We play Eastern Washington here in football and in and next weekend. So we enjoy that membership. We are committed to investing in, in facilities and scholarships and uh name, image and likeness. We did *** feasibility study which I know we released last week to, to show, OK, what we would need to do um in order to uh to, to compete as an F BS at *** school that laid out, you know, everything that, that we're investing in, you know, facilities and name, image and likeness and scholarship. So, you know, our approach is let's focus on, on us, let's focus on our institution, let's focus on what's best for our student athletes and let's not try to predict what's gonna happen in, in college athletics with conference realignment. And we'll be prepared if, if there are opportunities for sack state to consider, we'll be in *** good position um to, to uh to be able to look at those opportunities. We have another pro team in town that's always been, has been for *** stadium. We're looking to build *** stadium for the past, you know, decade. Now. Have you guys had conversations with the Sac Republic FC? Yeah. Um Not, not much, you know, again, our focus is, has been our students on our campus. Um So we have great relationships with the Sacramento kings, the Sacramento Republic, um the Sacramento River Cats and always have and always will continue will be. Um We um we felt very strongly that we wanted to construct *** stadium here on our campus for our students. Um again, uh mentioning it's not just our football team um but all of our, our club teams and, and other sports. Um There's something to be said about having *** college football stadium on your college campus and tailgating and student engagement. So, we've, we've focused on that and um in terms of where the Sacramento Republic is, is at or all the other professional organizations we're always willing to partner. Um And I would always say that um I think there's um but it has to make sense, has to make sense um for their organization and all the organizations in Sacramento State, so always willing to partner. But in terms of this project in this location, we haven't had uh discussions there. And just finally, for me, you know, Sacramento, we've seen all the pretty pictures over the years of lots of big dreams in this city and what could be uh how confident are you that this gets done? Yeah, I'm very confident, very confident. Um And it's, I'm always really confident when the president of the university makes the announcement that we're gonna build *** stadium. And uh President Wood is, this is *** priority for him as *** campus wide priority. Um We do have funding in place. Um We have uh one of the best uh populace is one of the best design firms in the country who's doing the conceptual um design for us. Um We have *** location, we have momentum in our city with SAC 12 and local leaders and, and businesses and donors. So feels like everything is aligning um at the right time um for this, this project, we have *** very successful football program right now. Um ***, *** student enrollment that's growing *** vibrant active campus. So I'm uh I'm, I'm extremely confident.