Ben Sasse

The university says Sasse — who had no pool at his family’s home in Fremont, Nebraska — did not ask for the pool to be built and provided no input over its design. The money is coming from private donors.

Sasse, a Republican U.S. senator from Nebraska, pledged not to be involved in partisan political activities as university president — a position he called "political celibacy."

Hundreds of boisterous student protesters drove Sen. Ben Sasse from a stage Monday afternoon at the University of Florida, where he has been selected as the sole finalist to become the school’s next president.

A committee put forward Republican U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse as the lone finalist to lead the state’s flagship university.