There’s a lot of things somebody can do with three million dollars.

In NIU’s case, it has decided to take its $3 million donation and turn it into a new indoor training facility.

Mainly the football team will use the new facility, but other sports programs can use it as well.

While I can’t really slight the donation, or the use of the money since it’s made out to NIU Athletics, I do have a few gripes.

If you’re going to spend an ample amount of bucks on a new training facility, you should also probably have the crop of talent to be using those facilities.

The NIU football team had a terrific season last year, but losing as many starters on defense as it did, and the offensive power it will lose soon, where are the heirs to lay claim to the starting positions?

A nice training facility can definitely improve a team, but a team is only going to be as talented as the players.

You can’t buy a win against teams like Wisconsin. You need to steadily and consistently recruit talent.

NIU had its share of quality players make it into pro-sports, most notably Michael Turner in the NFL.

However, NIU is not at the top of the list for prospective student-athletes. There are a plethora of options that would be higher on a wish-list.

NIU President John Peters also recently announced his plan to increase enrollment to 30,000 by 2020.

Along with this proclamation, he also highlighted attaining more high caliber academic students.

Many of the players who spend their careers in NIU are not destined for greatness at a professional level. Many of them will complete a degree, earn a nice job, and live life as a “normal” person.

I’m all for bettering the campus in any way possible, but when the graduation rate itself has been under 60 percent since 2004 and trending down the last few years (according to Collegemeasures.org), perhaps there should be a greater focal point on improving academic life on campus rather than improving the success of athletics.

For as much work as Dr. Chessick has done for academia at NIU in the past as well as his scholarships, there still seems to be a disconnect in terms of the success of students.

Maybe there is a way to get the great minds at our university together and concentrate on what makes a college great and prepares those of us not gifted with athletic talent for the rest of our lives; success in academics and programs that prepare us for our futures.