By Al Pike of Foster's Online from Dover, New Hampshire:

The plan calls for artificial turf, lights, new west side stands for Cowell Stadium, a press box and an access road. It also calls for the renovation of an antiquated field house, including a strength and conditioning area, academic center, office suites and new locker rooms, among other amenities.

Of course, that's all on paper right now. Whether or not theory becomes reality in the near future depends on how much paper the University of New Hampshire can raise.

Thanks to a proposal last week by Sen. Lou D'Allesandro, D-Manchester — a UNH alum and former Wildcat football captain — the state has agreed to give the school $3 million toward the project. With one catch. UNH must raise $30 million in private donations by 2009.

"That's fabulous," Scarano said. "That's $3 million less that we have to raise. It's very much appreciated. I think it's a significant step because for the first time in a long time the state wants to help us with the athletic facilities at the university."

From the day he arrived, Scarano has talked about getting those deplorable facilities up to Division I speed. And this is an ambitious project to say the least that will give Quadrant 4 and that end of the campus a fresh look.

Presently, UNH is trying to identify potential benefactors. Ones with major money. A multitude of $100 gifts won't cut it. Despite a commitment from the state, Scarano does admit the sorely needed improvements might never occur if officials can't raise the necessary funds.

"It may not happen at all," he said, "but our motto is the sooner the better. We're working awfully hard to identify people to speak with who would want to support this."

The entire project is expected to cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $33-$34 million, with actual construction estimated to take about 18 months.

Scarano said he expects to have more concrete financial figures by the end of August for the multi-purpose facility, which will be used for recreational purposes as well as intercollegiate.

"I don't want to be overly dramatic," Scarano said, "but it will be the first and maybe the only time in (UNH) athletics history where there's such a significant campaign undertaken, and hopefully we'll be successful."

Though renovating Cowell Stadium has been bandied about in recent years, the issue gained momentum after the football team made the NCAA tournament last season for the first time in 10 years.

In fact, school officials were so impressed with Montana's stadium — where the Wildcats' run ended in the national quarterfinals — they may incorporate certain details into their own design.

"We've been talking about (the project) for a couple of years anyway," Scarano said, "but clearly football's success took it to a different level of seriousness. We can't put all our eggs in one basket. Whether football's doing well or not it's a much-needed facility. It would be an enormous asset to the state. It's not about football and it's not about soccer. It's about having one of the best, if not the best, outdoor venue in the state."

Scarano indicated his optimism so far is well-founded in that school officials have had "some very constructive discussions with some very significant people."

He did say it's not a public campaign at the moment, nor will it become one until there is significant interest. And the AD thinks it's important to note that the state essentially appropriated the first $3 million, not the last.

"What the state did is very important," Scarano said, "because it shows the state is listening, they're interested and they want to be part of this. They understand the importance of it. A lot of times when we go to private benefactors, they say to us, 'what's the university going to do or what's the state going to do?' We need to have a good answer for that.

"And now we have an answer."