Ellis Family Donation Improves Soccer Complex
Aug 02, 2011 | Soccer
The 12th Man Foundation announced recently that a large donation from Julia and Mark Ellis '79 of Houston, Texas, has allowed for extensive improvements to the Texas A&M soccer stadium, to be renamed Ellis Field.
The Ellises - parents of three Aggies, Preston '11, Jenna '13 and Sara '14 - pledged their donation of $1 million over a year ago to be put toward improvements to the stadium. The field, formerly known as the Aggie Soccer Stadium, has been the centerpiece for several major events in the soccer community, including a Women's College Cup, games featuring women's national teams from foreign countries and Major League Soccer matches.
The stadium renovation includes upgrades to each section of bleachers to be finished before the Maroon and White Game on Aug. 15. A public restroom facility will be completed in the southwest corner of the stadium in mid-October and permanent roof structures over parts of the east and west grandstands will be constructed in 2012.
"I'm really excited about all of the incredible upgrades being done to the stadium and am thankful for the overwhelming generosity of Julia and Mark Ellis," head coach G Guerrieri said. "Their incredible gift has made all of these positive changes possible."
Construction crews broke ground at Ellis Field in June, and have worked continuously throughout the summer to be ready for the 2011 season. The bleachers on each side of the stadium have been restructured to improve seating for fans.
The west grandstand has been expanded from 400 to 700 reserved seats, and each ticket holder in that area will now be able to enjoy the match from a chair-back seat. In addition, the west side of the stadium now features an Aggie Soccer Club deck that spans the top of the entire grandstand.
Temporary general admission structures at the north and south end zones have been removed and replaced by permanent bleacher seats. The former team bench structures on the west side of the stadium have also been removed to make way for additional reserved seating.
The east grandstand will feature a Junior Aggie Club party deck, added to the top of the northeast bleachers for the enjoyment of young soccer fans. Also on the east side of the stadium, a student section has been added to the midfield directly in front of the press box to give A&M students the chance to be in the center of the action.
"These upgrades don't really increase the capacity of the stadium, but they will greatly improve the comfort and game-day experience of all of our great fans," Guerrieri said. "Our fans are the best in America and now they will be in a stadium that comes closer to matching that level of excellence."
Season tickets will remain at the 2010 prices, giving season ticket holders an advantage with upgraded seating.
"Finally, all of our season ticket holders with a reserved seat will be able to sit with the sun at their backs in a comfortable seat with enough legroom, and our students will move right into the middle of the action," Guerrieri said. "I love how loyal our fans have been over the years, and we're so happy to know that they will get even more for their money this season."
The reigning Big 12 Champion Aggies begin their 2011 campaign at home against Fresno State on Aug. 19. Ellis Field will be the site of 11 regular-season matches, including four conference contests this season. The Maroon and White Game on Aug. 15 will break -in the new turf. For more information on Texas A&M soccer, log on to AggieAthletics.com.
"Once the season is completed in December, there are additional plans to add roof structures over the east and west club decks and seating areas," Guerrieri said. "This will complete this phase of upgrades and make Ellis Field as impressive as any college soccer facility in the nation."
