Did Rv Ever Make His Big Spring Announcement?

kj86 · May 24, 2007

Proof?
Rick

Not necessary. I remember it as well. Don't remember the outlet, but definitely RV said to expect a stadium-related announcement in the spring (of '07).

FirefightnRick · May 24, 2007

Not necessary. I remember it as well. Don't remember the outlet, but definitely RV said to expect a stadium-related announcement in the spring (of '07).

On this board, in the papers or to you personally? I'm just curious, that's all.

Rick

FirefightnRick · May 24, 2007

Maybe this is what everyone here is thinking of?

Rick

North Texas: Goldfield confident UNT stadium is on way soon

12:56 AM CST on Saturday, January 27, 2007

By Brett Vito/Staff Writer

Al Goldfield tried to give the North Texas athletic department a boost in the form of a large donation long before the retired businessman donated $1.5 million toward a new football stadium late last year.

"I offered at one point to underwrite a whole baseball program at North Texas and they turned me down," Goldfield said. "They didn't want to have baseball back then."

UNT was more than willing to accept a large donation when Goldfield offered a second time. Al and his wife, Shirley, announced late last year that they were giving the largest donation in UNT athletic department history to help in the early stages of a campaign for a new football stadium.

The couple was honored for the donation during halftime of the UNT men’s basketball team’s win over Middle Tennessee on Thursday night.

Al Goldfield, a retired businessman, is the founder, former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of CellStar Corp.

Goldfield said he made the donation largely because of his confidence in the athletic department and the progress it has made the last few years under athletic director Rick Villarreal.

"Rick came out to talk with me at Oakmont Country Club," Goldfield said. "It was the coldest darn day, but he went out and played golf with me, which showed me a lot. The more I got to know him I saw how he worked to get his program going. Then I met [uNT president Gretchen Bataille]. I have never seen a university where the president and athletic director work so well together. They impressed me."

Goldfield believes UNT will reach its goal of building a new stadium largely because of that partnership.

"I know it is going to happen because people here are dedicating themselves to making it happen," Goldfield said.

The Goldfields are Denton County residents and longtime supporters of the Mean Green.

UNT plans to build a football stadium as part of Villarreal's "Soaring to Victory" campaign that has included the addition of multiple facilities in the last few years. UNT has opened the Mean Green Athletic Center, the Waranch Tennis Pavilion and built a new softball complex during Villarreal's tenure, which began in 2001.

UNT plans to build a new stadium to replace Fouts Field just outside the Mean Green Athletic Center. Fouts was built in 1952.

"It is a remarkable compliment to the type of people Al and Shirley are when they make such a generous donation to this university and this athletics department," Villarreal said when the donation was originally announced last year. "It is a validation to the direction of this program, and it will benefit the interests of our student-athletes and the entire Mean Green community for generations."

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

Eagle1855 · May 24, 2007

Not necessary. I remember it as well. Don't remember the outlet, but definitely RV said to expect a stadium-related announcement in the spring (of '07).

Thank you.

I don't have any notarized transcripts of my conversations with RV (sorry FFR), and I can't recall where I read it. I'm not the only one who remembers this, so I figure that's proof enough.

No, it's not the above posted article (unless that donation WAS the spring announcement), but I am 100% positive RV mentioned something about making a big announcement this spring and it sounded like it would be related to the stadium project. If someone could find the article or thread, it would be much appreciated! I searched for it earlier and couldn't find it.

Edited May 24, 2007 by Eagle1855

FirefightnRick · May 25, 2007

I searched for it earlier and couldn't find it.

I did too, here at GMG.com and the DRC and found nothing. Which leads me back to the fact that it's either a misunderstand, hearsay or rumour only. And I'll say it once more, he's working harder on getting this done than anyone else but we gotta give him time. And as he stated here on GMG.com, just because there's no updates on the subject doesn't mean it's not getting done. It is getting done but we gotta give the guy some time.

Rick

Edited May 25, 2007 by FirefightnRick