From the comments:

This is still the most disconcerting quote from Hill, "We wanted to get it done before any kind of political pressure hit us – anybody in the state trying to say we couldn’t do it."

When you are afraid of the elected officials who should have the best interests of the school in mind, it is bizarre. Even though the benefits to the state's flagship school have been enormous, I would wager many of these politicians wish they had blocked the move before it happened. Sad.