Texas Tech to Invest $200 Million in Football Program, Stadium Improvements
Texas Tech University announced on Monday that it plans to invest $200 million into the Red Raiders football program - its largest investment to date - that will include a new south end zone building at Jones AT&T Stadium that will connect the new Dustin R. Womble Football Center.
The project is pending approval from the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents at its next meeting on Aug. 11-12 and will be funded through private fundraising and annual athletics department revenue streams.
Groundbreaking is planned for immediately after the 2022 football campaign ends, and should be completed before the 2024 season starts.
“This is an historic day as we announce our intentions to construct what will be the premier football facility in the Big 12 Conference and nationally,” Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt said. “This facility, when completed, will not take a backseat to any other school in the country. We have received tremendous interest from many of our supporters regarding this project and anticipate that continuing as we get closer to officially breaking ground.
“Our intent is to be the top athletics department in the country. As we look into the long-term future of college athletics, this project will set the stage for what we anticipate as decades of success on the gridiron for our Red Raiders. This will take all of us. There’s not a more passionate fan base in the country than Red Raider Nation, so we encourage all our alumni and supporters to contribute to this project and, as always, be a proud member of the Red Raider Club.”
The project is expected to completely reconfigure the stadium's south side while also preserving one of the most historic landmarks on campus, the Double-T scoreboard. The new plans include a new Double-T scoreboard on top of a four-story building that will completely enclose the stadium.
“The great universities in this country achieve excellence because of the commitment of extraordinary people who contribute financially and through their passion and leadership,” Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec said. “Without a doubt, this project will elevate Texas Tech and Lubbock and further affirm our football program’s positive momentum.”
The coaches' offices will be relocated to the third floor of the new structure, connecting both the Womble Football Center and the Sports Performance Center through a new sky bridge.
The Womble Football Center will be constructed where the present Football Training Facility stands.
The football strength and conditioning, sports medicine, and equipment areas will be located on the main floor of the Womble Center while the second floor will be the home of meeting spaces and individual position rooms, as well as the Spike Dykes Team Meeting Room.
Also on the second floor, a revolutionary more than 6,000 square foot multi-purpose walkthrough area to allow large-scale indoor team strategy implementation, instruction, and technique evaluation.
Between the south end zone project and the Womble Football Center, the two facilities will contain space for both recruiting and players’ lounges, a new player locker room, a television studio for game day, and social media content as well as a significant investment into technology through digital signage and displays.
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