Patience is a virtue, Kansas University football fans — especially regarding an eight-figure monetary donation.

KU associate athletic director Jim Marchiony is urging patience regarding the proposed football facility KU hopes to build at Memorial Stadium. After it was believed donations were close to wrapping up, KU has made no new news public in weeks.

Currently, KU has about $9 million raised for the project, which could cost between $25-$30 million. KU still is looking for the big fish to double or triple the amount raised, but nothing official has developed.

“The update really hasn’t changed,” Marchiony said. “We’re still fund-raising for it.”

Although no blueprints have been drawn up, KU football coach Mark Mangino is hoping the facilities have offices, a weight room, a training room, film and meeting rooms and a practice football field nearby. It would be built near Memorial Stadium, but KU chancellor Robert Hemenway has reiterated it would not block the view of Campanile Hill or disrupt any commencement ceremonies.

In October, Mangino told reporters to be alert to developments regarding the facility, saying, “We’re pretty close on some really good news.”

Nothing major broke, though, leading people to wonder if anything happened that sent KU back to square one.

Not the case, said Marchiony.

“There wasn’t any kind of fallout with a donor,” Marchiony said. “Fund-raising is an inexact science. We’ve had some good visits, but gifts of this magnitude take some time to come to fruition.”

Currently, the largest gifts for the facility have come from Dana and Sue Anderson of Los Angeles ($3.15 million) and Charles and Sharon Lynch Kimbell of Hutchinson ($3 million).

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Still one left: KU still is trying to finalize its last nonconference vacancy on the 2005 schedule, likely a Sept. 10 game in Lawrence.

Florida Atlantic (Sept. 3) and Louisiana Tech (Sept. 17) have confirmed visits to Lawrence this fall, but nothing official regarding the third and final nonconference date has emerged.

KU’s Web site has a countdown to the FAU game and lists the season-opener as a 6 p.m. kickoff Sept. 3.

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Gordon the leader: With the college football season complete, KU cornerback Charles Gordon officially can tout himself the NCAA Division I-A interception king for 2004.

Gordon and Louisiana-Monroe’s Chris Harris each had seven picks in 11 games last season to lead the nation. Nobody else had more than six, despite several of college football’s top defensive backs playing 12 games this year.

Gordon didn’t intercept his first pass until the fifth game of KU’s season against Nebraska, then racked up seven picks in KU’s last seven games. His play earned him All-Big 12 and third team All-America honors.

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Moats leaving: Louisiana Tech standout running back Ryan Moats won’t be around when the Bulldogs travel Sept. 17 to Lawrence.

Moats, who just completed a sensational junior year, announced Tuesday he planned to skip his senior season and enter this spring’s NFL draft.

The 5-foot-9, 205-pound Moats rushed for 1,774 yards and 18 touchdowns for Tech, which finished 6-6 in 2004.