'1^ "T" The Battalion Nation Tuesday ‘July 1, University of Texas eyes bigger stadium AUSTIN (AP) — The University of Texas, which already is preparing to expand the Big 12 Conference’s largest football stadium, is dream ing of even bigger things: a 115,500-seat arena with 200 luxury boxes. A college football stadium that size would be the nation’s largest. It also would cost far more than the nearly $92 million in Royal-Memorial Stadium renovations and other UT athletics projects now under way. In a story published Monday by the Austin American-Statesman, UT athletics officials said the dream, outlined in a stadium master plan, is merely a vision for the future. The package doesn’t even have a price tag yet. “We haven’t put pencil to paper,” said Doug Messer, senior associate athletics di rector in charge of finances. Austin Gleeson, a physics professor and chairman of the campus master plan commit tee, said he had heard various estimates — ranging from $130 million to $150 million. He said it was his impression that the ad ditional, expansion would begin when the cur rent projects are completed, in 1999. But ath letics department officials said there is no formal timetable. “Our children might not see this happen,” Messer said. But he added, “I’m optimistic that, probably, we can.” At present, UT is focusing on a stadium ex pansion project that will seat up to 85,000. Roy al-Memorial currently seats 75,512. The ex panded stadium will include 66 new luxury skyboxes. The UT Board of Regents has ap proved those projects. The rest of the master plan — expansion to 115,500 seats and other amenities — has been accepted in principle only. “We certainly don’t have the wherewithal ... to do that (now),” said DeLoss Dodds, UT athletics director. The stadium expansion and other athletics projects have been a lightening rod on cam pus in recent months. Some professors say sports already are overemphasized. They argue that the fund-rais ing priorities should be on academics. “I call it the edifice complex,” said Karl Galin- sky, a classics professor who serves on the cam pus building committee. Galinsky said that while most of the current projects probably could be justified, he worries about public perception. “It’s costing us credi bility,” he said. The 10,000 new stadium seats, along with I call it the edifice complex. It’s costing us credibility. Karl Galinsky Member of UTs campus building committee on fund-raising priorities improvements to concessions, restrooms and other interior space, are part of a $91.57 million athletics construction program. That latest es timate is up from $71.3 million last year. UT has installed a $1.25 million natural grass field in the stadium and spent $1.3 mil lion on a soccer-football practice field. It is moving on a $9.2 million renovation and ex pansion of the Neuhaus-Royal Athletic Com plex in the stadium’s south end zone, and on a new $12.2 million track and soccer stadium. The grandstand renovations and skyboxes are estimated at $51.6 million. Revolution-era boat discovered FERRISBURG, Vt. (AP) — A Rev olutionary War gunboat, part of a small fleet commanded in a strate gic battle by Benedict Arnold be fore he turned traitor, has been found nearly intact on the bottom of Lake Champlain, officials said today. No decision has been made yet on whether to leave the ship in place or to raise it, said Art Cohn, head of the Lake Champlain Mar itime Museum. The ship’s exact lo cation in the 115-mile-long kike and its depth were not released. The 54-foot vessel, whose name is not yet known, is “in an excellent state of preservation, sitting up right on the bottom, its mast still standing over 50 feet high and its large bow cannon still in place,” Cohn said. It was found in early June during a sonar survey of the lake bottom, he said. Only four vessels survived out of the 15-ship squadron led by Arnold in the Battle of Valcour Is land in 1776. Cohn told reporters today he went down on the first dive to the ship. His attention was focused on the complicated dive procedure! he said, but “at the same there was a voice screaming in ra head ‘Oh my God, this is the gin boat! Benedict Arnold probaW W walked on this deck!”’ The newly discovered ship \« identified as one of Arnold’s 0o| because it matches another ofli gunboats, the Philadelphia, whit; was found in 1935 and is atli, Smithsonian Institution’s Natioi Museum of American History. Peter Barranco, the historiano the discovery team, said hews sure what they had found assoc as he saw it on the sonar. “Even ^ thing was crystal clear even on tlii, sonar image. There was neveraii doubt in my mind that it wsi there,” he said. “This could prove to be themes significant maritime discovery ii American history in the last century,” said Philip Lundeberg,cu rator emeritus of naval history attlt Smithsonian’s American Histon Museum. “The apparently exceUeis condition of the gunboat is unusual for an artifact this old an! is one of the reasons the discoven is so significant.” GREAT DEALS EVERY TUESDAY IN THE BATTALION / CLIP& SAVE m Pampering Packages $10 off Full Sets 1220 Harvey Rd. (by Hobby Lobby) Aggie Owned & Operated $3 off Reg.Fill 'iTofT . Pedicures, sTofT Hot Oil Manicures 696-9751 Exp. July 15, 1997 $ 1.— dry cleaning any garment 89* $ 1.99 shirts blue jeans ^special handling may cost extra 4343 Wellborn Rd. 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