A group fighting to keep the State Fair in Lincoln said Friday it needs more time than expected to finalize its backup plan after a failed petition drive.

Roger Yant, a spokesman for FairVoteNebraska.com, said his group has stumbled upon “new information” and that he expects to unveil a Plan B next week, not this week as originally hoped.

Yant would not provide details: “Otherwise the university and everybody would know what we’re planning.”

FairVoteNebraska.com announced Wednesday it had fallen short of the 60,000 petition signatures it needed to have voters decide in November whether the fair should move to Grand Island. That would clear the way for a University of Nebraska-Lincoln research campus, as a new state law requires.

Yant vowed then the group wasn’t quitting and said he would reveal his next move in the coming days.

Now, he says FairVoteNebraska.com members will meet Tuesday to discuss their plans.

People in Lincoln and Grand Island have speculated the group may be pursuing some type of legal action. Yant, though, appears to be staying tight-lipped.

“We have no idea what they’re referring to,” UNL spokeswoman Kelly Bartling said of the group’s plans.

Reach Melissa Lee at 473-2682 or mlee@journalstar.com.