A&M Chancellor Asks Officials For $38M Toward Kyle Field Reconstruction

Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp “called a meeting of College Station, Bryan and Brazos County officials on Monday and requested $38 million” toward Kyle Field’s reconstruction, according to sources cited by Brent Zwerneman of the SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS. A source said that Sharp also “told the startled group a decision had already been made regarding Kyle: a renovation would cost around $450 million and the new configuration would seat 103,000.” Another source said that Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin “wasn't aware of Sharp's meeting until after it had concluded.” The source said that Sharp was “most likely simply trying to gauge the reaction” of local leaders and that “nothing has been decided on the Kyle Field front -- including whether the Aggies might play away from Kyle for the 2014 season while a demolition and rebuilding takes place.” Loftin in a statement said, “It is important to reiterate that no decisions have been made as to whether the Aggies will play a season away from Kyle Field, and we continue to hope that this will be an unlikely option” (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 9/26).

OLIVE BRANCH: In New Orleans, Bruce Eggler reported “architects have redesigned the west side” of Tulane Univ.'s proposed new football stadium “so that it will be only 38 feet high, not 48 feet.” The move announced Monday “could soften the opposition of at least some nearby residents to Tulane University’s plans to build an on-campus football stadium immediately behind their homes.” In addition, instead of “having the entire west side extend to just 20 feet from the rear property line of the Audubon Boulevard residences, the exterior wall has been redrawn to angle slightly forward at either end of the stadium, increasing the amount of buffer space.” The $60M stadium “will have 25,000 seats and be able to accommodate 30,000 spectators.” The university “hopes to start work” early in ‘13 and “open the stadium for the 2014 football season” (NOLA.com, 9/25).

CLEARER VIEW: In California, Jeff Faraudo reports a construction crew at Memorial Stadium yesterday “removed two large poles used to support netting behind the goal posts at the north end of the facility after season-ticket holders complained their views were obstructed.” Cal Assistant AD/Capital Planning & Management Bob Milano Jr. said that the athletic department “received enough complaints after their first two games in the new stadium to make the changes at the north end, where the Bears sell ‘gold-zone’” season tickets. Most seats in the south end zone are “sold to visiting fans,” and Milano said that Cal “heard no concerns from anyone at that end” (CONTRA COSTA TIMES, 9/26).