Texas A&M Tennis Facility Plans Hit the Wall, Leaving Aggies Without Indoor Courts
bryan, Texas – The dream of an indoor tennis facility at Bryan’s Midtown Park, a project intended too benefit both the city adn the Texas A&M men’s and women’s tennis teams, has been officially scrapped. The City of Bryan and the Texas A&M University System mutually agreed to terminate the project, citing escalating construction costs, a shift in the project’s location, and a lengthy design process.
The decision, set to be formalized at Tuesday’s city council meeting, brings an end to a plan that was initially approved in October 2023 with a $17 million price tag.
“We want to extend our appreciation to Bryan officials for understanding the situation and look forward to continuing to work with them,” Susan Ballabina, chief of staff to A&M president Mark Welsh, said in a statement. “Texas A&M University is committed to strategically prioritizing its financial resources to better support student-athletes in new and evolving ways. As the landscape of collegiate athletics continues to change with a growing emphasis on Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) opportunities, we recognize the need to adapt to these new challenges.”
The termination comes as a blow to the Aggie tennis programs, which are the only ones in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) without an indoor facility. This lack of an indoor court prevents A&M from hosting any indoor regular season matches, conference tournaments, or NCAA tournaments. It also means the Aggies can’t host outdoor NCAA Tournament matches without an indoor backup in case of inclement weather.
While Missouri’s indoor facility technically exists, its limited four-court capacity renders it unusable for official matches.
The decision to pull the plug on the project comes amidst a changing financial landscape in college athletics, with NIL deals becoming increasingly prominent. A&M athletes earned a staggering $19.4 million in NIL deals between July 1, 2023, and July 1, 2024, according to university records.
Despite the setback, Aggie women’s head coach mark Weaver remains optimistic.”We are optimistic that we will get our own facility,” he told KBTX. ”How soon, I have no idea.”
The original plan envisioned a facility funded primarily by A&M, with the city of Bryan benefiting from its use.
“We will get, generally, the majority of the use out of it and A&M will be paying a majority of the construction for it,” Bryan Mayor Bobby Gutierrez told KBTX at the time of the initial approval. “So, the citizens of Bryan and Brazos County get a lot of use out of it, for something that they’re really using us as a corporate partner.”
Both the city and the university will split the $851,943 already invested in the project.
A&M Tennis Facility Plans Fade Away, Leaving Aggies Out in the Cold
Bryan, Texas – The dream of an indoor tennis facility at Bryan’s Midtown Park, a project envisioned to serve both the city and the Texas A&M men’s and women’s tennis teams, has officially been extinguished. Citing escalating construction costs, a shift in the project’s location, and a protracted design process, the City of Bryan and the Texas A&M University System have mutually agreed to terminate the project. This decision, slated for formalization at Tuesday’s city council meeting, signals the end of a plan initially approved in October 2023 with a $17 million price tag.
“We want to extend our appreciation to Bryan officials for understanding the situation and look forward to continuing to work with them,” Susan Ballabina, chief of staff to A&M president Mark Welsh, stated. “Texas A&M University is committed to strategically prioritizing its financial resources to better support student-athletes in new and evolving ways. As the landscape of collegiate athletics continues to change with a growing emphasis on Name,Image & Likeness (NIL) opportunities,we recognize the need to adapt to these new challenges.”
This termination comes as a meaningful blow to the Aggie tennis programs, which remain the sole ones in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) without an indoor facility. This lack of indoor courts prevents A&M from hosting any indoor regular season matches, conference tournaments, or NCAA tournaments. It also hinders the Aggies’ ability to host outdoor NCAA Tournament matches without a readily available indoor backup in case of inclement weather.
While Missouri’s indoor facility technically exists, its limited four-court capacity renders it unsuitable for official matches.
the decision to abandon the project coincides with a shifting financial landscape in college athletics, with NIL deals gaining increasing prominence. According to university records, A&M athletes earned a staggering $19.4 million in NIL deals between July 1, 2023, and July 1, 2024.
Despite the setback, Aggie women’s head coach Mark Weaver maintains an optimistic outlook. “We are optimistic that we will get our own facility,” he told KBTX. ”How soon, I have no idea.”
The original plan envisioned a facility primarily funded by A&M, with the city of Bryan benefiting from its use.
“We will get, generally, the majority of the use out of it and A&M will be paying a majority of the construction for it,” bryan Mayor Bobby Gutierrez told KBTX at the time of the initial approval. “So, the citizens of Bryan and Brazos County get a lot of use out of it, for something that they’re really using us as a corporate partner.”
Both the city and the university will split the $851,943 already invested in the project.
