House Bill 9131

    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HR 9131

        By Representative Levine






  1                         House Resolution

  2         A resolution commemorating the inaugural season

  3         of NCAA Division I college football at Florida

  4         Atlantic University.

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  6         WHEREAS, Florida Atlantic University, a member of the

  7  State University System, was established in 1961 and opened

  8  its doors to students in 1964, and

  9         WHEREAS, with an 850-acre campus in Boca Raton, and

10  numerous other satellite campuses throughout South Florida,

11  Florida Atlantic University has a total enrollment of 23,000

12  students, with more than 66,000 Florida Atlantic University

13  alumni, and

14         WHEREAS, on September 29, 1999, a new phase of Florida

15  Atlantic University's history began with groundbreaking

16  ceremonies for the Tom Oxley Athletic Center on the Boca Raton

17  campus, and

18         WHEREAS, construction of the 61,000-square-foot, $8

19  million athletic center promises not only a tremendous leap

20  forward for all athletics programs at Florida Atlantic

21  University, but signifies the commencement of Florida Atlantic

22  University's participation in NCAA Division I college

23  football, beginning with the 2001 season, and

24         WHEREAS, funded through private donations, which

25  included a $4 million donation from the center's namesake, Tom

26  Oxley, the athletic center, which is scheduled for completion

27  by September 1, 2000, will not only be a state-of-the-art

28  center for Florida Atlantic University's developing football

29  program, but will also be home to Florida Atlantic

30  University's other Division I athletic teams, and

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HR 9131

    707-125A-00






  1         WHEREAS, in addition to the construction of the Tom

  2  Oxley Athletic Center, Florida Atlantic University's

  3  whole-hearted commitment to a successful football program is

  4  evidenced by securing one of the country's most renowned

  5  college football coaches, Howard Schnellenberger, as Special

  6  Assistant to the Director of Athletics for Football Operations

  7  for the university, and

  8         WHEREAS, Howard Schnellenberger is most widely known as

  9  the former head coach for the University of Miami who in 1979

10  signed a 5-year contract with the university that contained a

11  stipulation which provided that, if the university did not win

12  an NCAA national championship within 5 years, the school would

13  eliminate its football program, and

14         WHEREAS, Coach Schnellenberger not only produced the

15  national championship in 1983, but also laid the solid

16  foundation on which the University of Miami football program

17  still stands, and

18         WHEREAS, besides his legendary career at the University

19  of Miami, Howard Schnellenberger was an offensive coach for

20  the National Football League's Miami Dolphins who, during the

21  1970's under Head Coach Don Shula, helped lead the Dolphins to

22  three straight Super Bowl appearances, including their victory

23  in Super Bowl VII, the culmination of their legendary 17-0

24  perfect season, and also directed the offense at the

25  University of Alabama for 5 years under Head Coach Paul "Bear"

26  Bryant, with a record of 39-4 and three national

27  championships, and

28         WHEREAS, the construction of the Tom Oxley Athletic

29  Center and the hiring of Howard Schnellenberger as Special

30  Assistant to the Director of Athletics for Football Operations

31  are auspicious beginnings for the football program at Florida

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HR 9131

    707-125A-00






  1  Atlantic University that evince a commitment to excellence and

  2  a determination to be competitive in what has become the

  3  leading state in the nation for achievement in college

  4  football, NOW, THEREFORE,

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  6  Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of

  7  Florida:

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  9         That the House of Representatives of the State of

10  Florida hereby congratulates Florida Atlantic University on

11  its entry into NCAA Division I college football competition.

12         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution

13  be presented to Florida Atlantic University President Anthony

14  J. Catanese, Director of Athletics Tom Cargill, Vice President

15  for Student Affairs Emanuel Newsome, Special Assistant to the

16  Director of Athletics for Football Operations Howard

17  Schnellenberger, and Florida Atlantic University alumnus and

18  benefactor Tom Oxley, as a tangible token of the sentiments

19  expressed herein.

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