RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics continues to experience historic growth and financial strength, as the community rallied behind the Vaqueros to the tune of $2.7 million, an increase of nearly 33% over the previous record in philanthropy, ticket sales, and corporate partnerships during fiscal year 2023, which ran from Sept. 1, 2022, through Aug. 31, 2023.
 
In total, UTRGV Athletics raised a record $1,721,907 in philanthropic giving, a record $578,840 in corporate partnerships, and a record $373,271 ticket sales, not including the 2,324 deposits for football season tickets.
 
Additionally, UTRGV Athletics has more than doubled its licensing royalties from the sale of merchandise since 2020, topping $1.5 million.
 
"We very much appreciate the continued commitment the Valley is making to UTRGV Athletics," UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. "These numbers are a direct reflection of the support and momentum we have felt over the past couple of years. The significant increase in attendance, coupled with the substantial increase in merchandise sales, are clear indicators that there is growing support for the Vaqueros. We are grateful for another year of record support and the future is extremely bright for UTRGV Athletics. The impact of this support will be realized by student-athletes for years to come."
 
The record-setting ticket sales can be directly attributed to some of the best attendance numbers in program history, as tickets prices for UTRGV baseball, basketball and volleyball remained the same as in previous years.
 
As a department, UTRGV Athletics welcomed about 100,000 fans across all sports, including a program record 45,461 fans for baseball and a program record 13,101 fans for volleyball. The baseball team, which ranked eighth out of 22 teams in Texas in both total and average attendance, drew two of the three largest crowds to ever watch a UTRGV baseball game at UTRGV Baseball Stadium, breaking 4,000 twice for the first time in program history with 4,017 on March 4 vs. Houston and 4,261 on May 12 vs. Grand Canyon. The volleyball team drew six of the top 20 crowds in program history, welcoming six crowds of 1,000+, including five of 1,100+, for the first time in program history.
 
The men's basketball team had its best attended season in over a decade, selling out the fieldhouse twice with 2,606 against California Baptist on Jan. 28 and 2,788 against Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 11 while also drawing the largest crowd to ever witness a basketball game in the history of the Rio Grande Valley with 6,674 for a doubleheader featuring Texas on Nov. 17 at Bert Ogden Arena. The women's basketball team had its second-best attended season in the last decade as well.
 
Season tickets for baseball, basketball and volleyball, multi-sport passes, and season ticket deposits for football can be purchased by contacting the UTRGV Athletics Ticket Office team of Eddie Galvan (956-222-2935) and Ryela Rodriguez (956-329-0884) over the phone or through email at tickets@utrgv.edu.
 
The record setting corporate partnership revenue can be attributed to several factors, including increased attendance, which helped to increase the value of and interest in partnering with UTRGV Athletics. Additionally, UTRGV Athletics has built meaningful relationships with many local businesses that are all buying into the vision of where the Vaqueros are going. Each relationship is mutually beneficial, as when UTRGV Athletics grows, so do its corporate partners, and vice versa.
 
To become a corporate partner, contact UTRGV Chief of Staff/Associate Athletic Director for Revenue Generation Seth Jones at (956) 665-3877 or sponsorships@utrgv.edu.
 
The strong philanthropic giving is in large part due to significant multi-year commitments made by Football Founders Society and Champions Club members.
 
The Champions Club provides annual support directly to UTRGV Athletics through the V Club. Donations to the Champions Club fund pressing needs within the department, including capital projects. Membership to the group requires a minimum annual donation of $5,000 for a minimum of five years.
 
To become a member of the V Club and/or Champions Club, click here.
 
The increased revenue generation is helping UTRGV Athletics to transform the student-athlete and fan experiences through $85 million in athletics facilities enhancements.
 
The renovations began in the spring of 2022 with the construction of a new weight room and administrative offices near the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
 
Upgrades to the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex began during the summer of 2022, 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 expected to be complete later this fall.
 
Enhancements to the UTRGV Fieldhouse began in March 2023 with interior renovations, including new seating, a new video board and ribbon board, and a new court design. Construction on the new atrium and lobby on the east side of the fieldhouse is expected to begin later this fall. Additional, construction on a new practice facility began during the summer of 2023.
 
Renovations to the home clubhouse at UTRGV Baseball Stadium were completed in January 2023 with a much larger renovation project including new reserved seating and premium seating, and new walls and padding, currently underway.
 
In 2021, 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 in early 2024.
 
Construction began in the spring of 2023 on the Vaqueros Golf Center next to the driving range at Champion Lakes Golf Course that will include locker rooms, coaches' offices, and hitting bays. This project is expected to be complete later this fall.
 
UTRGV is also preparing to begin construction on the Vaqueros Performance Center (VPC), a new 45,000+ square foot facility that will be north of UTRGV Baseball Stadium and house the football program, be used by multiple sports, and is expected to be complete 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 VPC 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.
 
For more information on UTRGV Athletics facilities, visit GoUTRGV.com/AthleticsFacilities.
 
Naming opportunities are available for all facilities, include locker rooms, head coach and assistant coach offices, meeting rooms, strength & conditioning facilities, practice fields, and whole facilities.
 
To pursue a naming opportunity, contact UTRGV Senior Associate Athletic Director for Advancement and Administration Derek Schramm at (956) 665-3897 or vclub@utrgv.edu.

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