The announcement of Wheeling University’s $2 million campaign to renovate Bishop Schmitt Field ­ –and that $1 million has already been donated by Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration and WesBanco — was more important than it may have seemed on the surface.

David Hendrickson, the university’s board of trustees chair, made sure people understood.

“In the not-too-distant past, many were writing this school off,” he said. “They said it wasn’t going to survive. Well, guess what? They didn’t understand what Wheeling University is all about. They didn’t understand the spirit. They didn’t understand the standards this school sets and how hard everybody works.”

The project — which will returf the football field, resurface the track and add a video board to the facility — is a commitment to the university’s future and a proclamation that both university officials and area businesses believe in that future.

In this educational landscape, the last thing that needs to happen is a reduction in opportunities for higher education. This project will fortify Wheeling University and help maintain its status as a place for students to come and learn.