Jack McGrory has helped put up thousands of dollars for ads in the U-T badmouthing the SoccerCity proposal.

As San Diego State University and a group of loyal alumni continue to wage war against SoccerCity, the proposal by some wealthy La Jolla hedge-fund managers to convince city voters to give them control of the site currently occupied by Qualcomm Stadium, the school is looking for a big-dollar fundraising powerhouse for its sports operations.

“The Assistant Athletic Director – Major Gifts will oversee the process of identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gift prospects for identified priorities for the Athletic Department,” says a university help-wanted advertisement posted online. “This position will act on behalf of the Aztec Club in accordance with the department, university, conference and the NCAA regulations.”

No salary is given. Mandy McKinley-Huiras, listed as Senior Associate Athletic Director, Development, on the Aztec Club website, received $160,832.55 in total state pay and benefits during 2016, per Transparent California. Morgan McSweeney, assistant athletic director for development, got $88,471.62.

SDSU’s plan, insiders relate, is to come up with sufficient money to cover a new megamillion-dollar football stadium to replace Qualcomm, with enough left over to seed related expansion of the university on adjacent land, thereby convincing voters to reject SoccerCity. With the measure set to appear on the municipal ballot in November of next year, SDSU boosters, led by ex–city manager Jack McGrory, have so far spent $26,459 badmouthing the soccer proposal in a Union-Tribune advertisement. An outfit calling itself the SDSU Past Presidents Council, led by Fred Pierce, who once ran development at the San Diego State University Research Foundation, has laid out $5533, according to an August 16 lobbying disclosure report.