Brandon Fugal stands in his hangar in front of his custom Airbus H130 helicopter in Provo on Thursday, July 21, 2022. | Ben B. Braun, Deseret News
Utah Valley University is building a $20 million soccer stadium on campus. Most of the world outside of the United States would call it a futbol facility. Football in Utah County has long been considered a BYU sport, but business visionary Brandon Fugal believes a gridiron is still in UVU’s long-term plans.
“I think the vision has always been to have a football team,” the major donor and former UVU Foundation board member told the “Y’s Guys” podcast. “(Former) President Matt Holland would always get a twinkle in his eye whenever football came up. I think it’s always … it’s a dream. It’s an aspiration. Everybody tips their hat to BYU and the football program. You look at how much it has evolved, even most recently (with the Big 12). We are really looking forward to this year.”
Fugal served on the UVU board for a decade and the real estate mogul negotiated the acquisition of UVU’s 238-acre property in Vineyard for intramural fields and future expansion projects. The school has the space and a growing enrollment (44,000) where a Weber State-sized (FCS) football program could create a viable discussion.
Dreams come true
The idea of a second college football program in Utah County might feel like a risky stretch, but is it any more improbable than Salt Lake City becoming home to the NBA, NHL, MLS and potentially MLB? Just ask Jazz owner Ryan Smith. His sports dream is coming to fruition. UVU’s hopes for football might one day follow suit.
For dreamers and doers like Fugal — chairman of Colliers International, the largest commercial real estate firm in the Intermountain West, and owner of the mysterious Skinwalker Ranch — nothing is impossible. If the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/football-still-uvu-future-local-210602127.html
Author : Deseret News
Publish date : 2024-05-14 21:06:02
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