Agree. That's the key point. I'll be doing my part, too.
Here's my take having been known about this for a bit.
1) This signals SU is willing to play at the almost big boys table. Outside of the top 20-25 programs, most will be spending this amount (based on what SU knows).
2) Not all of the $20.5M will come from donors. I understand the BoT/Admin side has committed their own funding too. That's a drastic change from the past. Obviously the more we raise, the better off we are and will help. But the notion that this all falls on fans is completely wrong. The school is contributing revenue. The more we raise, the more we'll be able to funnel money to collectives on top of the $20.5M.
3) Having this centralized helps the school reward donors, who also, by the way, get a tax deduction. Doing it through the school is key. Doing it through a collective is bad if you care about deductions. Most donors are in the tax brackets where deductions help them contribute more. And having it centralized means the school can also credit donors with the money they contributed to a collection before. All fans who chip in should get some form of recognition and this campaign helps them do it.