If you’ve been in Texas for any amount of time, you’ve probably learned that football is king.
The passion for the sport is evidenced by the number of big time college football programs –a dozen, which is more than any other state – and the giant amounts of money spent on their stadiums, more than one-billion dollars since 20-11.
Texas A&M completed a $485 million renovation of the historic Kyle Field this year –and the folks at A&M, like many of other schools, have really focused on premium seating like club and luxury seats. But at what cost?
Sam Pesheck reported on the rebuild of Kyle Field for the Bryan-College Station Eagle. He says the addition of luxury seats was a “huge factor” in the stadium’s renovation.
“They knew from the get-go they had to secure big money up front and secure money down the long-term,” he says.
They went form 20 suites to 121 suites with varying levels of amenities, he says.
Nationwide, attendance has been dipping because fans choose to watch games at home or bars and restaurants rather than at the stadium. Entry to luxury suites cost anywhere from a half-million donation to upwards of $5 million.
“They do give a little bit of favor to people who can pony up a little bit of money to get in those seats but overall those don’t take up a majority of the seats,” Pescheck says.
Hear more in the audio player above.
