Placer County university backers say they're in it for the long haul

The president of the University of Warwick said Monday he is confident in plans to build a branch campus in Placer County over the next 25 years. But Sir Nigel Thrift, visiting the region Monday, said there are challenges to meet.

Among them: establishing the British university’s reputation here. Officials plan a long ramp-up period to develop name recognition in Sacramento and beyond.

“We’re going to start small … but we have big ambitions,” Thrift said at a ceremony on the Capitol steps.

The…