Athletes Village Scheduled for U of M Regents Vote

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The University of Minnesota is expected to give final approval to a $166 million Athletes Village, which will include updated practice and training facilities for football and basketball.

A Board of Regents committee approved the project Thursday. A final vote is scheduled Friday.

University officials say the facility is essential for the Gophers to compete in the Big Ten. So far, the university has raised $76.5 million from donors.

The project has been delayed for months over concerns about costs and that the facility would run afoul of gender-equity laws.

The plan calls for demolishing track facilities used by nearly half of the school's female athletes, while the new project would be dominated by male athletes. That prompted a gender discrimination complaint. The U.S. Department of Education is investigating.