FEATURED: The Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium in Edinburg, partially shown in this artist’s rendition, is awaiting consideration and final approval for $55 million in improvements when the University of Texas System Board of Regents meets in Austin on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 and Thursday, November 21, 2024, according to South Texas attorney Omar Ochoa. The stadium is the home for the UTRGV Vaqueros football team, which will begin its first season of competition as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in the fall of 2025. A vaquero is an expert horseman who could adeptly herd cattle and whose skills with a lasso were legendary.
Graphics Courtesy https://www.facebook.com/@UTRGVFootball/
•••••
$55 million in improvements for Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium, home to UTRGV Vaqueros football team, set for action by UT System Board of Regents on November 20 – 21, 2024, reports South Texas Attorney Omar Ochoa
By DAVID A. DÍAZ
[email protected]
The Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium in Edinburg, formerly the privately-owned, soccer-specific H-E-B Park – a sports and entertainment complex located at 616 South Raúl Longoria Road – is awaiting consideration and final approval for $55 million in improvements when the University of Texas System Board of Regents meet in Austin on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 and Thursday, November 21, 2024, reports South Texas attorney Omar Ochoa.
The stadium is the home for the UTRGV Vaqueros football team, which will begin its first season of competition in the fall of 2025.
The football team will be a member of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) when they begin their inaugural season next year.
A vaquero is an expert horseman who could adeptly herd cattle and whose skills with a lasso were legendary.
https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/discover/campfire-stories/vaqueros#
“If approved by the UT System Board of Regents – which includes Nolan Pérez, M.D., of Harlingen –the proposed $55 million in repairs and renovations to the Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium will represent another major advance to our region brought by the UT System, our state leaders and Valley state legislators, and the countless supporters of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley,” Ochoa noted.
Born and raised in Edinburg, Ochoa’s roots run deep in the community.
A graduate of Edinburg North High School, he went on to earn a business degree, a master’s in accounting, and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
A champion for government transparency, Ochoa provides regular reports to the public on the Texas Public Information Act, the Texas Open Meetings Act, and existing and proposed state laws that affect the mainstream and social media and the people’s rights to know about the actions of their governments in the Lone Star State.
“In late September, UTRGV Athletics provided an excellent blueprint on the exciting advancements they are requesting for the Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium – which is owned by UTRGV,” Ochoa said. “UTRGV President Guy Bailey is scheduled to address the UT System regents on Wednesday, November 21, 2024, and for anyone who wants to see how that goes, they can view the event and download the agenda packets at the UT regents website.”
https://www.utsystem.edu/board-of-regents/meetings/board-meeting-2024-11-20
According to the agenda packet on this item of the UT System Board of Regents:
Since the establishment of the UT Rio Grande Valley, a primary goal has been to offer students a traditional campus life experience, including athletic programs.
In pursuit of this goal, the university in 2024 acquired approximately 43.1 acres of land in Edinburg that included the formerly privately-owned H-E-B Park, an 2,500 seating capacity amphitheater, and related improvements.
The proposed multi-phase project of the Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium will involve extensive interior and exterior improvements, structured across two distinct phases.
Phase I will focus on renovating the locker rooms, upgrading interior suites, adding a 2,000-seat bleacher section in the south end zone, which will increase the stadium seating capacity to almost 12,000, and implementing Americans with Disabilities Act, life safety code, information technology, audio/visual, and security system improvements.
Additionally, Phase I will include signage and way finding, as well as an expanded press box.
Phase II will address mechanical, electrical, and plumbing upgrades, enhance security systems, and improve the surrounding fairground and parking facilities.
This proposed repair and rehabilitation project has been approved by UT System staff and meets the criteria for inclusion in the university’s capital improvement project.
Design development plans and authorization of expenditure of funding for Phase II will be presented to the President for approval at a later date.
On Wednesday, September 24, 2024, the UTRGV Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced the planned enhancements of the Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium to prepare the facility for the first-ever season of UTRGV football in 2025.
Phase 1 of construction at the Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium is already underway, as UTRGV is lowering the field to create improved sight lines for those who purchase the 39 existing field level suites and patios, all of which are being expanded and renovated. Each suite sold will have 400 square feet of outdoor space, allowing suite holders to be right up against the action.
Due to overwhelming demand, UTRGV is adding 184 premium seats, including the addition of 19 loge boxes, each of which contains six seats, in the north end zone.
A loge box is a semi-private seating area that offers a premium experience at a variety of venues, including sports stadiums, theaters and arenas.
After the field is lowered, it will be replaced with synthetic turf, allowing the stadium to become a true multi-use facility that can accommodate a variety of events, including student-driven experiences sponsored by the university.
UTRGV’s football stadium was named in honor of Robert and Janet Vackar to recognize their unwavering support of the football program when it was just a vision. Their longstanding generosity to the university includes a $20 million gift to UTRGV Athletics, announced on March 21, 2024, which is believed to be one of the top 40 donations in the history of college athletics.
“It is with the support of the Vackars that these stadium enhancements are possible,” said Chasse Conque, UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics. “Robert and Janet’s generosity is allowing us to greatly enhance the game day experience for our student-athletes and fans. We look forward to seeing our shared dream of Division I college football in the Valley on August 30, 2025.”
The Vackars’ philanthropy extends to numerous scholarships at UTRGV, and in recognition of their exceptional generosity, the College of Business was renamed to the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship in 2016.
UTRGV acquired the stadium in February 2024.
“We greatly appreciate the City of Edinburg and the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation for facilitating the acquisition of this stadium,” Conque said. “It was their shared vision that made this a reality, and we are looking forward to helping to create a transformative impact on Edinburg and the entire Rio Grande Valley.”
In February 2024, UTRGV President Bailey said the stadium presents an extraordinary opportunity for the university.
The stadium “gives both our community and football program immediate access to a premier facility while also providing additional possibilities for our university,” Bailey said. “It’s location off Expressway 281 also ensures convenient access for our fans, as well as visitors who make their way into the Valley for games.”
Also last February, Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza said he is excited about UTRGV football and its benefits for the city.
“Continuing another historic chapter in our longstanding relationship with the university, this partnership between the City of Edinburg and UTRGV symbolizes our steadfast commitment to nurturing growth and opportunity within our community,” the mayor said. “Bringing Division 1 football to Edinburg enriches our city’s sports landscape and paves the way for new possibilities for our residents and visitors alike.”
UTRGV was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.
UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island.
UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the sumner of 2016.
••••••
For more on this and other Texas legislative news stories that affect the Rio Grande Valley metropolitan region, please log on to Titans of the Texas Legislature (TitansoftheTexasLegislature.com).
