Just over 100 years ago, in a battle against Centre College, the legend of the 12th Man was born at Texas A&M when E. King Gill valiantly suited up for the Aggies while they faced injury, despite not being a member of the team. Fast forward a century, A&M has spent the 2021-22 academic year celebrating the anniversary of the 12th Man through various programs — specifically during the football season — but on Monday, April 25, the university unveiled its biggest plan yet: the Centennial Campaign.
The Centennial Campaign will bring four new complexes to the A&M campus right behind the south side of Kyle Field, where KAMU is currently housed. This includes an indoor football performance center, an indoor stadium for track and field, an academic and wellness center for student athletes as well as a redesigned Bright Football Complex.
The new indoor track stadium will be paired with E.B. Cushing Stadium for the A&M track and field teams. This move is designed to both celebrate the championship-winning program as well as lead to more events being hosted in College Station.
With the recent success of the 2022 recruiting class for A&M football, the redesigned Bright Football Complex and the indoor performance center will serve as a way to attract future classes of similar prestige. These complexes will include areas specifically designed for recruiting. With future student-athletes in mind, there will additionally be areas within the academic and wellness center where athletes will have the ability to spend time on content creation and brand development in wake of the NCAA’s decision regarding name, image and likeness.
“When we recruit student-athletes to Texas A&M, we are investing in them athletically, academically and in their personal lives,” Director of Athletics Ross Bjork told 12thMan.com. “The new Academic and Wellness Center will be at the center of their complete development as leaders who will be equipped to impact the world. It’s going to be a place where our student-athletes can gather and get the support they need to grow each and every day.”
After breaking ground on this new campaign, A&M will likely spend close to $200 million in various upgrades and renovations, according to Billy Liucci of TexAgs. The university will be relying on the support of donors and former students throughout this process, as they have before, similar to the upgrades given to Kyle Field in 2015. A&M hopes to secure $120 million for this project through donations when all is said and done, according to 12thMan.com.
When Texas A&M Athletics and the 12th Man Foundation unveiled the plans for the Centennial Campaign, no timeline for completion was given. For further information regarding the facilities, visit www.TheCentennialCampaign.com.