Board of Regents Approve New Track & Field Stadium
Apr 27, 2016 | Track and Field
COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M's nationally-ranked track and field program will have a new outdoor venue to call home soon following the approval of new stadium projects by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents on Wednesday.
Designs for the new track and field facility, which will be a 52,000 square foot complex, includes a nine-lane sprint and hurdle straightaway down the middle of an Olympic standard nine-lane running oval along with dual field event area. Longer throwing events will utilize the grass infield of the current training facility.
"I think it's a very fan-friendly facility," said Texas A&M head coach Pat Henry, who is in his 12th year with the program. "It's designed for the fan, it's designed for the people who really want to watch every event in track and field. It's has a little different layout. We'll have the discus, hammer and javelin on the existing grass field we have right now, so that makes a great venue for the throwing events. You will be able to watch from the stands or even walk over to that area.
"We will have nice locker rooms and office areas. The concession stands will be very nice, similar to the construction they have done at Blue Bell Park (Texas A&M's baseball stadium). It's going to look like Texas A&M, so we are excited about all those features."
The new stadium will have an initial seating capacity of 3,000 fans, complete with hospitality amenities, press box, full broadcast capabilities and service areas. It will also have team meeting rooms, locker rooms, a training room, official's quarters, and equipment storage.
(4/27/2016) Future Track & Field Stadium
The facility will be built to host events at the collegiate and high school levels, as well as conference and national championships along with Olympic qualifying events. Total cost of the project is $39.8 million and will be located adjacent to the current track complex. By design, the current outdoor track will remain in place to serve as a full practice and warm-up facility for the new competitive venue, which makes Texas A&M's new complex unique in the United States.
This past fall the Aggies hosted the SEC Cross Country Championships and the NCAA South Central region meet on its new cross country facility. Texas A&M's indoor facility will host the NCAA Championships the next two years along with the SEC Indoor meet in 2018. The last time the Aggies hosted an outdoor conference meet was in 2001 when the Big 12 Championships were held in College Station.
"We're looking forward to hosting championships outdoors, including the SEC and NCAA meets," noted Henry. "Bringing a conference or national meet to College Station, I think people are going to see the best track and field in the world when that happens. Just like indoors, when we fill the building up for a big meet it will be an exciting venue."
The Aggies have not held an outdoor meet on campus since 2004 when the Frank G. Anderson Track & Field Complex, which was built in 1986, hosted the Midwest Region collegiate meet in May of that year followed by the USATF Junior Championships in June.
"As anybody who follows our program knows we've not had a home competition in 12 years here," stated Henry. "In that time frame we've won eight national outdoor championships and those kids never got to run on their own campus.
"So, this is a very welcome addition to our program. We've had the worst track in the SEC and previously in the Big 12. As most might understand it might be a little difficult to recruit sometimes to that kind of situation. We've worked very hard in recruiting and have worked very hard to develop our team. We've been very fortunate to get some things done.
"Having a new facility will never make recruiting easier, but it gives our kids a home. It gives them somewhere they can call their own. We'll get to have our own outdoor meets at home. We'll get to do some things a regular school and program get to do. We're really looking forward to that. This staff and our team are excited about having a place we can call home."
Construction of the track and field project is expected to begin shortly, with a completion date in time for the 2018 outdoor season expected. The 12th Man Foundation is actively accepting donations for the project.
Designs for the new track and field facility, which will be a 52,000 square foot complex, includes a nine-lane sprint and hurdle straightaway down the middle of an Olympic standard nine-lane running oval along with dual field event area. Longer throwing events will utilize the grass infield of the current training facility.
"I think it's a very fan-friendly facility," said Texas A&M head coach Pat Henry, who is in his 12th year with the program. "It's designed for the fan, it's designed for the people who really want to watch every event in track and field. It's has a little different layout. We'll have the discus, hammer and javelin on the existing grass field we have right now, so that makes a great venue for the throwing events. You will be able to watch from the stands or even walk over to that area.
"We will have nice locker rooms and office areas. The concession stands will be very nice, similar to the construction they have done at Blue Bell Park (Texas A&M's baseball stadium). It's going to look like Texas A&M, so we are excited about all those features."
The new stadium will have an initial seating capacity of 3,000 fans, complete with hospitality amenities, press box, full broadcast capabilities and service areas. It will also have team meeting rooms, locker rooms, a training room, official's quarters, and equipment storage.
The facility will be built to host events at the collegiate and high school levels, as well as conference and national championships along with Olympic qualifying events. Total cost of the project is $39.8 million and will be located adjacent to the current track complex. By design, the current outdoor track will remain in place to serve as a full practice and warm-up facility for the new competitive venue, which makes Texas A&M's new complex unique in the United States.
This past fall the Aggies hosted the SEC Cross Country Championships and the NCAA South Central region meet on its new cross country facility. Texas A&M's indoor facility will host the NCAA Championships the next two years along with the SEC Indoor meet in 2018. The last time the Aggies hosted an outdoor conference meet was in 2001 when the Big 12 Championships were held in College Station.
"We're looking forward to hosting championships outdoors, including the SEC and NCAA meets," noted Henry. "Bringing a conference or national meet to College Station, I think people are going to see the best track and field in the world when that happens. Just like indoors, when we fill the building up for a big meet it will be an exciting venue."
The Aggies have not held an outdoor meet on campus since 2004 when the Frank G. Anderson Track & Field Complex, which was built in 1986, hosted the Midwest Region collegiate meet in May of that year followed by the USATF Junior Championships in June.
"As anybody who follows our program knows we've not had a home competition in 12 years here," stated Henry. "In that time frame we've won eight national outdoor championships and those kids never got to run on their own campus.
"So, this is a very welcome addition to our program. We've had the worst track in the SEC and previously in the Big 12. As most might understand it might be a little difficult to recruit sometimes to that kind of situation. We've worked very hard in recruiting and have worked very hard to develop our team. We've been very fortunate to get some things done.
"Having a new facility will never make recruiting easier, but it gives our kids a home. It gives them somewhere they can call their own. We'll get to have our own outdoor meets at home. We'll get to do some things a regular school and program get to do. We're really looking forward to that. This staff and our team are excited about having a place we can call home."
Construction of the track and field project is expected to begin shortly, with a completion date in time for the 2018 outdoor season expected. The 12th Man Foundation is actively accepting donations for the project.
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