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On a sunny Saturday afternoon in September outside of Kyle Field in College Station, thousands of students and former students will gather to see the fightin’ Texas Aggie football team face their next opponent. A sea of maroon and white covers the newly opened Aggie Park, a large outdoor event space designed for tailgating, Ring Days, and more. Hamburger and hotdogs on the grill waft through the air. Students toss footballs back and forth, as music blares from speakers. Excitement stirs through fans in the hope for an Aggie win, and “the spirit that can ne’er be told,” — as in the song “The Spirit of Aggieland” — can be felt throughout the entire park.
The anticipated Aggie Park project has been in the works for several years, and is now set to hold its grand opening on Sept. 2, with a kickoff concert featuring Americana musician Robert Earl Keen, Class of 1978, Max Stalling, Class of 1989, and the Barn Dogs. The Aggie Park website describes the new location as a place of “study and relaxation, tailgating, entertainment, and recreation” for all Aggies.
“It used to be just scrub land, and people tailgated along the sides of the street. It wasn’t very nice at all,” says Scot Walker, vice president of The Association of Former Students. According to Scot, CEO Porter S.Garner III, whose office overlooks that area, thought: That is such a prime piece of real estate, right in the heart of campus. We should make it into something special.
Providing a place for all Aggies to connect has been the goal at the forefront of the project, which was made possible in part through a donation from a generous Aggie.“Our lead donor is Wayne Roberts, [Class of] 1985, who provided $8 million in honor of his late wife Shannon, who passed away from cancer last year,” Scot says. “The Association is raising funds through private donors, and multiple donations made this possible.”
Aggie Park will feature 20 acres of new landscaping, along with new buildings, outdoor activities, an amphitheater, and a creamery. The many different lawns will have space for students to tailgate on gamedays, exercise, or just hang out. A new Association building will be opening at a later date, but the rest of the park will be fully functional by Sept. 2.
“We’re planting 700 trees, most new and some moved from other areas,” Scot says. “We’ll have a two-tiered lake that we’re going to stock with bass and allow catch-and-release fishing, right in the middle of campus.”Texas A&M University’s traditions will be apparent throughout the park, including the pillars of the Aggie Network. “We’ll also have the Distinguished Alumni Tribute that will honor the very select number of Aggies that have been named Distinguished Alumni,” he says.
The new Association building, coming later, will also provide current students with a welcoming environment to be in, as well as anew Aggie Ring Day experience.“Our alumni center wasn’t designed to see thousands of people come through in one day,” Scot says.“This new one is. It’ll be a great experience for students and their families on Ring Day to go through the hall, get their ring, and come right out into the park.”
Aggie Park could play an important role for Aggies, since there are those who may not spend much time on campus. “We have quite a few students who commute,”Scot says. “They park, go to class, get right back in their cars, and go home. We want to give them a reason to stay on campus to experience traditions and interact with fellow Aggies.”
Current, future, and former students will all be able to enjoy the new Aggie Park, which is likely to become a popular stop at Texas A&M for years to come.“It’ll be interesting to see what new traditions develop. I’m sure the students will create new ones through [Aggie Park],” Scot says. “We’re really trying to make a place that’s welcoming for Aggies everywhere, whether that’s on Ring Day or game day — totally 365 days a year.”
For information, visitaggiepark.tamu.edu.
Read Bringing the Aggie Network Together in Spanish here.
