RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics unveiled on Tuesday renderings of the Vaqueros Performance Center, a new 45,000+ square foot facility being constructed north of UTRGV Baseball Stadium that will house the football program and be used by multiple sports upon completion, which is expected by the fall of 2025.
 
The construction includes two practice fields that will be available for football and soccer, one of which will be made of natural grass and one of which be made of synthetic turf, with completion expected by the summer of 2024.
 
The Vaqueros Performance Center will house a new, large, state-of-the-art strength & conditioning facility for use by football and other athletics programs, an academic success center, a football locker room, football coaches' offices, a sports medicine facility, a team room with stadium-style seating, multiple meetings rooms, and additional office space to be used by other athletics personnel.
 
"This is the next big step in sport expansion as we get our football program ready for its practice year in 2024 before taking the field in 2025. The Vaqueros Performance Center will be a home of which our football program can be proud and will rival that of any Division I FCS program in the country," UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. "The ability to open a state-of-the-art facility like the Vaqueros Performance Center is transformational for our entire athletics department as we add significant capacity in strength & conditioning, academic support, and sports medicine while also giving our student-athletes, coaches and staff adequate meeting space."
 
This construction, with an estimated cost of about $45 million, is part of over $80 million in construction projects being completed by UTRGV Athletics over the next two and a half years.
 
The renovations began last spring with the construction of a new weight room near the UTRGV Fieldhouse. Upgrades to the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex began over the summer, including the installation of a new press box and upgraded sound system. Construction on an operations center for the soccer and track & field programs, with new locker rooms and coaches' offices, as well as a new sports medicine facility for those programs, is currently underway and expected to be complete in the fall.
 
Enhancements to the UTRGV Fieldhouse began earlier this month, with interior renovations, including new seating, a new video board and ribbon board, and a new court design expected to be complete this summer. Construction on the new atrium and lobby on the east side of the fieldhouse is expected to begin this fall. Additional, construction on a new practice facility is slated to begin this summer.
 
Renovations to the home clubhouse at UTRGV Baseball Stadium were completed in January with a much larger renovation project slated over the next year.
 
Two years ago, UTRGV Athletics resurfaced the courts at the Orville Cox Tennis Center. Now UTRGV is planning to expand the footprint of the facility by building new locker rooms, coaches offices, public restrooms, a sports medicine area, and a concession stand in addition to new bleacher seating. The renovations also include a new entrance. Construction is expected to get underway before the end of the calendar year.
 
Construction has already begun on a new golf facility next to the driving range at Champion Lakes Golf Course that will include locker rooms, coaches' offices, and hitting bays.
 
Naming Opportunities
 
Naming opportunities are available for all facilities, including the Vaqueros Performance Center. These opportunities include head coach and assistant coach offices, meeting rooms, the strength & conditioning facility, practice fields, and each facility as a whole.
 
For more information on naming opportunities, contact UTRGV Athletics directly either by phone at (956) 665-2221 or email at vclub@utrgv.edu.
 
For more information on UTRGV Athletics facilities, visit GoUTRGV.com/AthleticsFacilities.
 
$25 for '25
 
Season ticket deposits for the inaugural season of UTRGV football are currently being accepted for just $25 per ticket at UTRGVTickets.com. The Vaqueros take the field for their first season of competition in 2025.

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