UTRGV Year In Review: Facilities

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Athletic Department is taking a look back at a historic calendar year through a series of stories titled, “Year In Review.”

This is the first installment of the series.

Below is a list of major facility enhancements that have either begun, are ongoing, or completed during 2024.

Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium

On February 28, UTRGV officially announced the acquisition of the stadium formerly known as HEB Park and designated the venue as the primary home for UTRGV Football. Included in the purchase of the stadium was 20 acres of festival grounds, LED video board, and a 2,500-seat amphitheater. To read more about the acquisition, click here.

On March 21, UTRGV hosted a press conference where they announced that they were naming the newly acquired stadium the Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium.

The naming, which was granted in perpetuity, is in recognition of the Vackars’ unwavering support of the football program when it was only a vision and their longstanding generosity to the university, including a new $20 million gift that was also announced on that day. To read more about the naming, click here.

On September 24, UTRGV announced enhancements to the Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium that included the addition of 184 premium seats, including the addition of 19 loge boxes, and the addition of 2,000 bleacher seats in the south endzone that will expand the capacity to around 12,000. To read more about the enhancements, click here.

UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex

UTRGV hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony in January to celebrate the completion of the $10 million enhancements to this facility.

These enhancements include more than 13,500 square feet of space for locker rooms for the men’s and women’s soccer and track & field programs, athletic training rooms, meeting rooms, and coaches’ offices.

Additional enhancements include a new goalkeeper and skills training area as well as the Hinojosa Family Press Box and upgraded sound system, which kicked off the upgrades in the fall of 2022. To read more about this ceremony, click here.

Vaqueros Golf Center

One week later, UTRGV hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the coaches, men’s and women’s golf student-athletes, and staff to celebrate the opening of the nearly $3 million facility.

The Vaqueros Golf Center includes more than 4,200 square feet of space for locker rooms for the men’s and women’s golf programs, two hitting bays, a study lounge, nutrition station and viewing area, and coaches’ offices. To read more about this ceremony, click here.

UTRGV Fieldhouse Atrium

In August, UTRGV celebrated the placing of the final beam in what will soon be the UTRGV Fieldhouse Atrium. Over 200 people were in attendance and granted the opportunity to sign the beam before it was placed at the highest point of the building. The ceremony signified completion of the structural part of the construction of the atrium. The construction of the atrium is expected to conclude in the Summer of 2025.

This atrium will include a new entrance to the UTRGV Fieldhouse via the Lew Hill Memorial Plaza along with a new box office, team store, Hall of Fame area, concessions stand, restrooms, and premium seating area known as the baseline club. To read more about this ceremony and the atrium, click here.

Vaqueros Performance Center

When complete, the Vaqueros Performance Center will be a 45,000-plus-square-foot facility that will house the football program and feature a state-of-the-art weight training, academic and sports medicine facilities for use by multiple teams, as well as two practice fields, one of which will be striped for both football and soccer.

The first practice field, made of turf, was installed in July as seen in the video below, while the grass practice field was completed a few months later. The remainder of the facility is expected to be complete in time for the inaugural 2025 UTRGV football season. To learn more about the Vaqueros Performance Center, click here.

UTRGV Pavilion

The UTRGV Pavilion, completed in the Summer of 2024, acts as the current home for UTRGV Football until the completion of the Vaqueros Performance Center is completed.

This 10,200-square foot facility offers a state-of-the-art weight room, sports medicine room, locker room, a large team meeting room that can be divided into two separate meeting spaces, and an equipment room.