A visit to 'Texas Construction University'
Curtis toured the new stadium and along the way, took a look back at the road that led TCU from out of the Southwest Conference and into the Big 12.
It was a richly ironic moment when the Big 12, which looked like it was about to go the way of the Southwest Conference, started courting the Frogs. So here’s the new TCU, a small school engaged in an arms race with the big boys. TCU has only 8,200 undergrads — a few more than Duke. According to Cohen, there are fewer than 80,000 living TCU alums. (The current student enrollment at Texas, by way of comparison, is 51,000.) But on December 1, TCU will have a home game against Oklahoma. This is where the mass construction comes in.
...
We enter the $15 million suites. Unlike the skyboxes of the super-rich, they’re built right into the middle of lower deck — just 11 rows from the field. Behind the suites is a cavernous room with a brick fireplace called the Founders’ Club. “This is where all the movers and shakers of Fort Worth will be congregating on Saturdays,” (Mark) Cohen says.
I've been out to the stadium, and there's no question it's about to become one of the nicest in the Big 12. It's only going to seat 45,000 fans, but for such a small school, putting too many more is a little silly. That said, these same Horned Frogs have sold more than 30,000 season tickets.
Excitement is high in Fort Worth, and for good reason. Let Curtis show you exactly why, and what to look forward to on your trip to Amon G. Carter Stadium.
David Ubben | email
College Football- ESPN.com Big 12 blogger
- Joined ESPN.com in 2010
- Wrote for The Oklahoman
TEAM RESOURCES
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Richard Durrett
Richard Durrett joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. He writes about colleges, the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers. Richard spent nine years at The Dallas Morning News covering the Rangers, Stars, colleges, motorsports and high schools.
Tim MacMahon
Tim MacMahon joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. Tim covers the Cowboys and Mavericks. He has covered the local sports scene from high schools to colleges to pros during his six-year tenure at The Dallas Morning News. MacMahon is a graduate of UNT.
103.3 FM ESPN PODCASTS
Play Podcast Kirk Herbstreit joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss Bob Stoops' recent comments about the SEC and the pending college football playoff, what appears to be an unpredictable Big 12 in 2013, how the Aggies will handle expectations and more.
Play Podcast Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin talks about the improvements being made to Kyle Field, what those improvements will to for the program, the success of last year, Johnny Manziel's offseason and the expectations for the Aggies in 2013.
Play Podcast Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo talk about Texas A&M's decision to expand its stadium and say although the Aggies had a fantastic year, the school must also be careful not to overextend its resources based on a single hot stretch.
Play Podcast Baylor head coach Art Briles joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss what kind of player the Cowboys are getting in Terrance Williams.
Play Podcast Arlington and Texas A&M product Luke Joeckel, the potential No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, joins Ian Fitzsimmons and Richard Durrett to discuss the draft, coaches and advice from his dad.
Play Podcast Florida Gulf Coast athletic director Ken Kavanagh joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss his school's Cinderella story and playing in the Sweet 16 at Cowboys Stadium.
Play Podcast Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby joins Fizsimmons & Durrett to discuss Cowboys Stadium as a venue, the state of Big 12 basketball, the new 2014 college football format, why there's no hurry to have a Big 12 football championship and much more.
Play Podcast Jay Bilas joins Fitzsimmons and Durrett to discuss the remaining 16 teams in the NCAA tournament, the intrigue surrounding the Northwest Region and the excitement over FGCU, even though a similar story happens every year.
You must be signed in to post a comment