'The sale of naming rights alone won't finance the $62 million football stadium complex that Florida Atlantic University seeks to build on its Boca Raton campus. It is another reason why university trustees today must focus on financial realities as they consider initial authorization of the 30,000-seat facility.

The trustees have properly kept that focus through the project's iterations. The original proposal two years ago was a privately financed "athletic village," with retail services and restaurants around a 40,000-seat, domed football/basketball/convocation center. The idea was driven as much by FAU's ill-advised push to host top-level football as by the longtime commuter school's move to establish a more traditional campus.

The trustees, however, correctly noted that the revenue-sharing deal for private financing, construction and operation was too vague. In addition, the student housing that was the project's cornerstone was overshadowed. Current real-estate trends shows how off-mission FAU might have headed with the proposed condominiums to be sold to non-students. Also on the table at one point were hotels, a cancer research center and a museum for the campus' former Army airfield.

Separately financed residence halls for 1,545 students and leasing of retail space make up the new approach. FAU administrators claim that donations, marketing deals such as the naming rights and operating revenues could have the first-phase stadium pay for itself.

Since the university just cut $7 million and might have to cut more, trustees should be skeptical of any plan that leaves too many questions about money. Before the trustees for approval today is a request to spend six months and $100,000 to secure financing and proposals for the downsized facility's design and construction. The trustees then would need to give final approval, then have the project approved by the Board of Governors that oversees the university system.

Trustee Chairman Norman Tripp is comfortable with the level of detail in the latest proposal. "We want to come up with a final approach everyone can agree upon and go from there," Mr. Tripp said. But the cost of football already has made FAU's student fees the highest at any state public university. If FAU doesn't have enough money for education, how does FAU have enough money for big-time football?'