The Texas A&M system board of regents approves proceeding with $205 million dollars in new construction for Aggie athletics.
That includes a $125 million dollar expansion and renovation of the Bright football complex, add 31 football suites at the south end of Kyle Field at a cost of $25 million, and build a $55 million dollar indoor track next to the recently opened outdoor facility.
The Bright football complex portion of the project would include a new indoor football practice facility; a new academic support center for student athletes, relocate the Slocum Nutrition Center; and renovate the first and second floors of the complex.
The project start date will be during the current fiscal year. The system’s chief facilities officer, Brett McCully, told the regents building and facilities committee that once this is on the system’s master capital plan, they can “engage the architect and the construction managers to work through the details.” McCully also said “we understand from the scheduling that we need to start the new indoor facilities first, but consistently”, and “we’ve got to work out the details of the rest of the project as we go.”
The regents action also appropriates $20.5 million for pre-construction services and related project costs, contingent upon the completion of a Program of Requirements (POR) scoped to the approved budget for the Bright Area Development project.
According to the regents background information, the flagship campus is starting a fundraising effort and plans to replace a minimum of $125 million of the cost with gifts as the debt service source. For the revenue financing service (RFS) debt to be repaid with gifts, the university plans to obtain a guarantee from the 12th Man Foundation to cover any shortfall in gift revenue and any shortfall in total revenue to cover the required 1.15x debt service coverage.
Before construction begins, Texas A&M system policy requires 50 percent of the gift fund money in hand and an additional 25 percent in documented pledges. For any funds not in hand, an unrestricted source of funds must be identified to pay for the project or for the repayment of debt prior to approval for construction.
Quoting the project justification portion of the regents background information:
As a continuation of the premier learning experience at its College Station campus, Texas A&M and the Athletic Department desire to improve the current Bright Complex area with expansion and renovation of their current facilities and surrounding site.
The importance of this project is the continued enhancements of the training and educational support system for the student athletes. The project elevates the athletic and education support programs to the top tier in the collegiate market.
From a big picture perspective, the site exterior improvements will result in a more cohesive Bright Complex area that better organizes the pedestrian and vehicular circulation and provides varied landscape features that create an overall positive environment.
The new Academic Center’s focus is the education, nutrition and overall health of the student athlete, and the current needs of these programs have outgrown their existing home in the Bright building.
The new Indoor Football building will provide an extended playing field and support spaces for the team to utilize both indoor and adjacent outdoor practice fields for more coordinated and efficient workout schedules that aren’t attainable with the current facility.
The renovation of the existing Bright Complex will modernize the player meeting and locker room areas, as well as rehabilitation and coaches areas to create the synergy for the highest caliber of athletic training.
Dovetailed with these improvements is the addition of new premium suites at the south end of Kyle Field for the added benefit to the overall fan experience.
In addition, the Texas A&M System and the Aggie Athletics Department desire to construct a new training and competition venue for the Indoor Track programs. With the proposed enhancements and expansion in the Bright Area Development Project, this facility will be necessary for continuity of training and the future success of the Men’s and Women’s Track programs.
The project will re-establish Texas A&M as a leading host site of both SEC Championship and NCAA National Championship level competitions – providing national exposure for the programs and the university. The facility will consolidate the Indoor and Outdoor Track programs into a single destination on West Campus, allowing for maximum utilization of student-athlete, coaching, training, and media facilities located at E.B. Cushing Outdoor Track and the West Campus Player Development Center.
This hub will solidify Texas A&M as the gold standard of track and field facilities and be a powerful tool in the recruitment of future national champions.
Click below for comments from the November 17, 2021 board of regents buildings and facilities committee meeting.