Seminoles can guarantee the future of FSU Sports

By Charlie Barnes, Executive Director - Seminole Boosters

     Rule Britannia!
     Britannia rules the waves.
     England never never never
     Shall be slave.

Each year, tens of thousands of Britons gather in one of London's ancient parks and lustily sing that song. It is more than an expression of national pride; it is a reminder of the method England used to prosper and protect herself for 10 centuries.

That particular dynasty was a matter of national policy.

England made certain that her ships were the best, that her sailors were superior. After upending the Spanish Armada in the 16th century, the Royal Navy then in subsequent centuries along the way dispatched the French, the Dutch, the Germans, the Italians, the Russians, and whichever other usurpers ever presumed to mount a challenge.

Those who prattle on about historical inevitability are wrong. History is not outside our control. England ended her empire more or less voluntarily; she ended her dominance of the seas because the priorities of the English people changed.

Don Reinhard, one of the first million-dollar donors to the Dynasty Campaign, made the point with a statement as direct as it is eloquent: "We see so many other universities whose programs have risen only to fall into decline, and people ask, 'Why didn't those programs, like Texas, Southern Cal and so many others, continue to prosper as they had done for so long? Sarah and I are giving now because we believe that Florida State has a plan to sustain excellence, and we hope that in the future people will ask, 'Why HAS Florida State continued to prosper for such a long time?'"

Is decline inevitable? The answer is: No. And that reflects the central theme of our Dynasty Campaign. We have allowed two years more for the Seminole Boosters to raise a goal of $70 million in capital money. We have commitments in place now for $43 million of that.

That money will enable us to do two things. We will be able to build the facilities that will make possible championship competitiveness in all sports, and we will have scholarship endowments to ensure the financial strength of our program for generations to come.

FSU soccer is a case in point. Soccer began here, rather poorly, five years ago. In the time since, we have built a first class varsity soccer facility, one of the most beautiful in America. Dave Hart brought in nationally renowned Coach Patrick Baker last year.

We are improving soccer the same way we are improving all our other sports, the same way Florida did it, and the same way North Carolina did it: by raising and spending money.

Of course, given the proper facilities and financial security, the real guarantor of championship teams is having the leaders who make the right decisions. FSU is capable of making those right decisions. We find ourselves in exactly the right circumstances, at exactly the right time, with exactly the right people.

The engines of competition are roaring all across college football's landscape as athletic departments search for new revenue streams. College football, with its vast and passionate fan base, is the focus of massive building and expansion throughout the ranks.

The University Center surrounding Doak Campbell Stadium is becoming the country's most beautiful college stadium, with massive stonework and brick arches and gothic detailing. We built it, and we are now raising money to finish it.

We are not the only ones working to make maximum use of college football fever. The Wall Street Journal published a fascinating article about the astonishingly expensive renovations and new construction of football facilities on college campuses across the country.

The Journal explains that schools feel the massive expansions are necessary to attract the best players, and to accommodate more fans.

The best recruits are impressed by modern gleaming locker rooms, structured student academic support services, and top-of-the-line sports medicine and sports training facilities.

We began our University Center project more than 10 years ago with the idea of expanding space for education and making our stadium more competitive.

Now, we are about three years away from having the most beautiful stadium in America, and one that will compete with the facilities of programs that have been playing football and had the support of passionate alumni for more than 100 years.

We have the right project, at the right time, in the right place.

If we can accomplish this, it won't matter what anyone else does. We will be secure.

SoRule Britiannia! Have at it for as long as your means and enthusiasm to do so exist.

And Go Seminoles, for as far into the future as our vision and commitment and the loyalty of our fans and alumni will carry us.