Texas A&M Nets Over $6 Million From Mexico-Brazil Match, George Strait Concert

Over the summer, the Texas A&M Aggies played host to two international soccer squads and country music Hall-of-Famer George Strait as a way to expand the usage of Kyle Field, attracting new crowds and profiting in the process.

Jun 8, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; The starting eleven pose for a picture prior to the match against Brazil at Kyle Field. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Until this summer, Kyle Field — the Texas A&M Aggies' mammoth football stadium — was known solely for the college football games it hosted.

Boasting crowds of over 100,000 was normal for the Maroon & White, especially when big-time opponents like Nick Saban's Alabama or Dabo Swinney's Clemson came to town. Even in low-stakes games, the Aggies drew fans in to watch Saturday football.

Exit Ross Bjork, who took the same athletic director position with the Ohio State Buckeyes, enter Trev Alberts and suddenly that changed. Obviously, no part of Kyle Field's college football-based identity was diminished, but its usage was certainly expanded.

Oct 30, 2022; Nashville, TN, USA; George Strait performs during a \"Coal Miner's Daughter: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Loretta Lynn\" memorial concert at Grand Ole Opry House Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022 in Nashville, Tenn. Mandatory Credit: George Walker IV-USA TODAY NETWORK / The Tennessean-USA TODAY NETWORK

Both a match between Mexico and Brazil and a George Strait concert took place in College Station in back-to-back weeks in June, which only added intrigue to the already-well known stadium.

And both worked.

“You have heard me say before and I want to repeat my thanks to the previous administration for having the vision to bring these events to Kyle Field,” Alberts said. “I would like to thank our entire staff and especially our special events and facilities staffs for their hard work."

The final net revenue to Texas A&M athletics for both events crossed $6 million: $2.6 from the soccer match and $3.9 from George Strait.

“The cooperation between MexTour and MLS/SUM for the soccer match as well as the Messina Touring group with George Strait was outstanding,” Assistant Athletics Director for Special Events Services Kindra Fry said. “We have shown the capability of handling events of this stature, and we will continue to work to bring entertainment to the community.”

The Mexico-Brazil match came close to breaking a MexTour attendance record that was set 14 years ago in Pasadena, Calif., while Strait's show ascended to the top of the list of ticketed concerts in the United States with a whopping 110,905 people there.

While there aren't currently any contracts for future entertainment installments at Kyle Field in the there's certainly to be more novelty events in the future after the rousing success that came from the first two.

It's just a matter of when.

“Kyle Field is a special venue," Alberts said. "We will make sure any event that we host will be a worthwhile endeavor."