The Texas A&M System Board of Regents approved the proposed construction and payment plans for the renovation of Kyle Field – the most expensive collegiate stadium renovation in history.
University president R. Bowen Loftin addressed the board and said he needed flexibility in order to best serve the University. In addition to $11.48 per home game increase in sports passes, Loftin said the $2.42 per semester credit hour increase in student fees to help fund the construction on the east side of Kyle Field reflects the fact that Kyle Field garners national attention and benefits more than simply the attendees and athletes.
“Kyle Field is a vital and unique part of Aggieland, I think we all agree to that,” Loftin said.
With the addition of a variety of monuments, Sam Torn, co-chair of the Kyle Field development committee, said the expansion will stand to document the achievements of Texas A&M.
“When completed, this will be the largest football stadium in the state of Texas,” Torn said. “When complete, Kyle Field will tell the story of A&M … Kyle field will be a window to the world to tell of the tremendous things that are happening at Texas A&M in research, faculty recruiting and, most importantly, in the education of our students in addition to athletic success.”
According to proposal plans, the renovations will begin August 2013 and eventually enable seating for more than 102,000 fans. Plans include the lowering of the field and addition of canopies on the east and west side of the stadium to enclose the sound of cheering.
Planned memorials to Aggieland include the addition of Champion Hall, an athletic museum, and a war hymn statue to stand as a testament to the diversity at A&M. Twelve seats will also be permanently closed off on the east side in honor of past Aggies.“On the east side, student section, we are proposing that there be twelve seats that never be sat in and that those seats be dedicated to deceased Twelfth Men … because we want people to see our dedication to that tradition when games are televised,” Sharp said.
The board voted on the measures after hearing public testimony from five Student Government Association members, including Cary Cheshire, senator and junior political science major, who echoed other student speakers in requesting a written sunset clause on the fee increase in addition to Loftin’s statement’s that the fee has an expiration date.
“I was told by my dad that a verbal promise is not worth the paper it is written on,” Cheshire said.
In addressing student concerns, Board Chairman Phil Adams said the board of regents acts in a recorded and transparent manner and that he appreciated student’s coming out to address them.
“We are a board that keeps a constant eye on students,” Adams said before the board voted unanimously to support the proposed funding plan.
Torn said the funding for the entire renovation is conservative and primarily based on the prospect of increased revenue streams, priority seating, as well as the philanthropy of former students.
“We are cognizant of the fact that excellence comes with a price tag, and Kyle field is no exception,” Torn said. “We have a funding plan in place that will never place the funding of our University or our athletic department in jeopardy.”