Sports Expansion at UMKC?

While residents protest the demolition of their homes at Twin Oaks, UMKC is fortunate to also be riding a huge publicity wave from the basketball team's moderate success over the past year.

In the midst of this struggle between good and bad karma for the University, is Athletic Director Bob Thomas. Thomas, via an e-mail sent on February 11th, made his feelings towards a new sports facility on the main campus known:

"(We are) dreaming and working to implement ways a facility under our ownership and management on our campus could further enhance the experience for our fans and the University."

Not a ringing endorsement for Municipal Auditorium, eh?

The last time UMKC attempted to construct new athletic facilities was in 1998. That ended in the infamous "UMKC Kills Our Homes" campaign. The community backlash cost the then Chancellor (Eleanor Schwartz) her job. The soccer fields and other intramural sites were never put up.

As the KC Star noted in the same article containing news of Schwartz's 'resignation', the University's Athletic Department has been running deficits ever since they made the move to NCAA division I in the late 80's. By 1996-97, the deficit had reached $1.7 million, not including an additional $1 million in athletic scholarships.