Beneath nine chandeliers hanging from a white tent on Florida Atlantic's campus, a box of red sand rested on the ground. Punctured by 12 shovels and later surrounded by an open bar and 300 potential donors, the box remained otherwise pristine.
It served as the de facto centerpiece of FAU's Friday night, when the university held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Schmidt Family Complex for Academic & Athletic Excellence. The approximately $40 million complex is the future home of FAU football, and is set to open in the summer of 2018.
At the end of the 30-minute program Friday night — after speeches from administrators, student-athletes, donors and Owls coach Lane Kiffin — the sand could finally be sullied.