Bexar County has committed $10 million to build new athletic fields at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, which when finished will add new university sports programs and a safe public space for physical activity.
The money will fund a new $7.4 million track field and multipurpose facility, and $2.4 million will go to renovate the school’s existing softball field into a stadium for that sport.
University and county officials said the public money will serve to enhance the school’s facilities as its enrollment grows and to provide athletic and recreational opportunities in a part of town where such amenities are lacking.
“This fall, we are now at an enrollment of 7,700 students, which represents a 4% increase from last year,” TAMU-SA President Salvador Hector Ochoa said Tuesday at Commissioners Court. “Given this rate of growth, our role is to impact and serve the needs of our community … [and] our facilities continue to expand.”
Director of Athletics Darnell Smith said the new eight-lane track stadium will have bleachers to seat 500 people and will include a multipurpose field for a variety of sports like soccer, field hockey or lacrosse.
The renovated softball stadium will replace the existing field used for practice, he said, and will add a press box, dugouts and bleachers for 500 people.
TAMU-SA officials told county commissioners the $10 million will allow the university to add new sports programs and have a positive impact on Southside residents, giving them access to health and wellness activities.
“One of the reasons why I pushed so hard for this … is because of the disparities,” said Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores (Pct. 1). “Our community, specifically Precinct 1, needs to exercise more and get out and walk and get fresh air. We also need more safe places in Precinct 1. We have a real issue with stray dogs.”
There’s precedent for local officials allocating public money to fund athletic facilities at state higher education institutions. In February 2022, Bexar County committed $8 million to UTSA for its Park West Fieldhouse. San Antonio voters also approved $5 million in the 2022-27 bond program for UTSA basketball and volleyball courts.
Opened in 2009, TAMU-SA launched its intercollegiate athletics program in 2020 and is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ Red River Athletic Conference. The school competes in four sports: softball, men’s golf and men’s and women’s soccer.
Construction activity on TAMU-SA’s campus reflects the school’s growth. In the spring, TAMU-SA opened its library and business building. Next year, it will finish construction on its $19.2 million, 22,322-square-foot student recreation center and a new dormitory that will sleep 380 students, Ochoa said. In spring 2024, the university will start construction on its new $45 million College of Education and Public Health facilities.
“We’re expanding, and we want to be good stewards in the community,” Smith said. “One of the ways we could be good stewards is through our facilities.”
There are 13 Bexar County community youth and amateur sports facilities available for the public to use, but only four are south of U.S. Highway 90 and one south of Loop 410, “indicative of a disparity” of dedicated sports fields in the area, he said.
There is no timeline for completing the new sports complex project yet, said Sam Boykin, senior communications manager for TAMU-SA. The Texas A&M System will review the project for approval, and detailed design work could begin early next year.
