HOUSTON | Sports Teams/Events/Venues Thread

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In the past few months, there has been a healthy amount of news related to the sports world in the Houston area.

From the news of the city being one of the US hosts for 2026's World Cup to more recent developments for upcoming Concacaf Gold Cup matches in 2 venues (the only city/metro to do so), the long-running Houston Open, and the relocation of the LPGA's biggest game - among other events - I thought it would be worthwhile to have a thread for major sporting events, venues, and the teams that play here throughout the year.

I will start with the upcoming Concacaf matches at NRG & Shell Energy Stadium

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=2#cxrecs_s

Houston to host six total matches for 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup

By Chandler France – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Apr 18, 2023

NRG Stadium and Shell Energy Stadium in Houston will host six total matches for the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup.

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) announced April 10 that Houston would be one of the 14 host cities for the biennial soccer tournament. Houston is the only city with two different venues selected to host matches. The confederation announced April 18 that NRG Stadium will host two matches, while Shell Energy Stadium will host four.

“Houston is home to the best soccer fans in the country, and we look forward to providing them another edition of this world-class event,” said David Fletcher, general manager of Lone Star Sports and Entertainment. “Our community is excited for this draw and we are looking forward to welcoming the participating teams to our vibrant city.”

NRG Stadium will host the matchups of Haiti vs. Qatar and Mexico vs. Honduras, both on June 25. The first match will be played at 5 p.m., with the following match starting at 7 p.m. Both games are part of the group stage of the tournament.

Shell Energy Stadium will host two matches on July 1 — Cuba vs. preliminary round winner and Guatemala vs. Canada — at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., respectively. The venue will also host Canada vs. Cuba and Panama vs. El Salvador on July 4 at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively. These matches are all also part of the group stage.

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Minute Maid Park - New Astros Team Store

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...eam-store.html

Photos: Houston Astros’ new team store now official non-game day merchandise destination

By Chandler France – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
May 1, 2023

The Houston Astros unveiled a brand-new team store at the beginning of this season, which is now the official non-game day shop for fans.

The new Center Field Team Store replaced the Union Station Team Store as the main Astros’ shop prior to games and on non-game days effective April 28, the organization announced. Now, the Union Station Team Store is only open during game days.

The new store at center field did not replace any of the existing shops at Minute Maid Park but rather expanded upon the store that was previously there. It’s just over 8,500 square feet and features 23 registers, compared to the 10 registers at the Home Plate Team Store, for example.

“The Astros are always looking for ways to invest in our fan experience,” Anita Sehgal, senior vice president of marketing and communications for the Astros, said in a statement. “Demand for Astros gear — both on game days and non-game days — was the biggest influence in us investing in a larger store with easy access for fans, as well as a broad assortment.”

The center field gate has seen the largest increase in fans entering the ballpark through it, so the organizations wanted to provide fans with a convenient place to shop given the demand, Sehgal said. Additionally, the center field location allowed the team to have a fan-friendly exterior entrance and provide parking options for fans on non-game days. The Center Field Team Store is accessible on the corner of Congress Street and Crawford Street with parking available at the corner of Congress Street and Jackson Street.

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https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=0#cxrecs_s

Houston vying to host 2024 Copa America matches as tournament returns to U.S.

By Chandler France – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Jan 30, 2023

Houston could host yet another major soccer event next year.

Copa America 2024 will return to the United States next summer, and local stakeholders have received communication from the event organizers about hosting matches for the tournament, said David Fletcher, general manager for event management company Lone Star Sports and Entertainment. Houston officials are reviewing the current information, but Fletcher confirmed that the city is looking for opportunities to participate again.

“Certainly we are going to explore every avenue we can for Houston to participate in that event,” Fletcher told the Houston Business Journal. “It’s in line with our continued efforts to bring the biggest sporting events in the world to Houston.”

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Houston Open

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/tex...e-17893359.php

Houston Open to have bigger purse with its spring date in 2024

Richard Dean,
Correspondent
April 12, 2023
Updated: April 12, 2023 5:04 p.m.

There have been several changes within the PGA Tour over the past year, including a reshuffling of the schedule.

Because of that, the Houston Open has returned to a spring event and will be played March 28-31 in 2024 at Memorial Park Golf Course, two weeks before the Masters.

“There was an opening that was created, and we were able to move right in,” Giles Kibbe, president of the Astros Golf Foundation, which runs the tournament, said Wednesday.

“The tour absolutely loves what we’ve been able to do here. We’ve turned a municipal golf course into a great event, a great venue for the PGA Tour. The PGA Tour wants to be here in prime time.”

Houston's tournament is taking Austin’s spot on the 2024 PGA Tour schedule. It replaces the WGG-Dell Technologies Match Play event that had been played in late March at the Austin Country Club since 2016.

Next year’s Houston Open, which will be looking for a new title sponsor, will be televised on the Golf Channel (first two rounds) and NBC (final rounds).

A move to the spring will increase the payout. The purse will be $9.1 million in 2024, up from $8.4 million in 2022. The purse will escalate every year.

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https://communityimpact.com/houston/...grand-parkway/

Harris County Fair & Rodeo wrangles permanent home off Grand Parkway

By Cassandra Jenkins, Danica Lloyd
3:40 PM May 7, 2023 CDT

The Harris County Fair & Rodeo will be moving its permanent home to the northeast corner of Telge Road and the Grand Parkway in 2024 following the purchase in March of 165 acres for the fair.

Fred Stockton, owner of Stockton Inc.—a for-profit corporation in Hempstead—and chair of the Harris County Fair & Rodeo board, purchased the land from Williams Family Land Tomball LLC.

The first fair and rodeo at the new grounds will be in October 2024, and Stockton said there are plans to have the grounds double as an event space for the community to use year-round. Pieces of the historic Tin Hall dance hall will also be incorporated in an event venue on the property.

Leslie Martone, president of the Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce, grew up in Cy-Fair and said she remembers going to Tin Hall as a teenager. She said with a large participation in local FFA programs and in the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, she believes the community will appreciate and support the new rodeo venue.

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https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=2#cxrecs_s

Houston to host European soccer match this summer, its seventh international game in 2023

By Chandler France – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
May 15, 2023

Houston is adding another international soccer match to its résumé this summer with a matchup of two premier European teams coming to the city.

NRG Stadium will host a match between Real Madrid CF and Manchester United FC on July 26, Lone Star Sports and Entertainment said on May 15. It’s the first time the two clubs are meeting in Houston and the first time they are playing each other since 2018. The matchup will be Real Madrid CF’s second visit to Houston and Manchester United's third.

“It’s incredible to welcome back these two iconic clubs in Real Madrid and Manchester United to NRG Stadium this July,” LSSE General Manager David Fletcher said in a statement. “This match is a rare opportunity for fans to see this caliber of talent in person and another chance to showcase Houston as a premier destination for soccer in the world.”

Real Madrid plays in La Liga, the top professional soccer division in the Spanish soccer league system. The club is also the reigning champion of the UEFA Champions League, one of most prestigious soccer tournaments in the world pitting Europe’s best soccer clubs against one another. Manchester United competes in the Premier League, the top division in the English soccer league system.

The match between the two clubs will be a Copa de Lone Star event, LSSE said. The inaugural Copa de Lone Star was played in 2022, bringing Manchester City FC and Club América to NRG Stadium. More than 60,000 fans attended last year’s matchup, LSEE said.

This year’s game is part of the 2023 Soccer Champions Tour, a competition that will bring six of the world’s most well-known soccer clubs to the U.S. every summer through 2027. Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona, Juventus, AC Milan, Manchester United and Arsenal will play eight total matches in Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando and San Francisco this summer.

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https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=8#cxrecs_s

From free MetroRail rides to Spanish TV broadcasts: Here are Houston's latest sports updates

By Chandler France – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
May 16, 2023

Free MetroRail rides and games being televised in Spanish for the first time are just a couple of recent updates from Houston’s professional sports teams. Here is some of the most recent news for each team in Houston.

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https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/a...logo-revealed/

FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston logo revealed

Each city’s version of the logo includes the city’s name and a unique color for the numbers and lettering. Houston’s is a medium shade of blue.


MARK NORRIS | POSTED ON MAY 18, 2023, 10:33 AM

A logo Houstonians will be seeing a lot of in the next few years was officially unveiled on Thursday.

The logo revealed by FIFA for the 2026 World Cup is simple, with a 2 stacked on top of a 6 and the World Cup trophy superimposed on them. The trophy’s image is a first for a World Cup logo, as is the use of the tournament hosting year as part of the logo itself.

Each city's version of the logo includes the city's name and a unique color for the numbers and lettering. Houston's is a medium shade of blue.

FIFA traveled to the Hollywood Hills for a flashy celebration of the branding for the 2026 event on Wednesday, which will be held across the U.S., Mexico and Canada, including the Los Angeles area’s SoFi Stadium. Dozens of soccer luminaries including Brazilian great Ronaldo gathered for the unveiling.

Games in Houston will be played at NRG Stadium, a venue with plenty of soccer history. Houston is expected to host at least four matches in 2026, including a knockout round match.

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https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...dium-cost.html

University of Houston approves increased budget for football operations center, stadium renovations

The University of Houston Board of Regents approved an increased budget for its Football Operations Center and renovations for TDECU Stadium, nearly doubling the original cost.

Originally projected to cost $75 million, the board approved the projects for a total of $140 million during its meeting on May 18. That includes construction costs of $118.3 million, architecture and engineering fees of $11.5 million, and furniture costs of $5 million, according to documents presented at the meeting.

Raymond Bartlett, senior vice chancellor for administration and finance, told the Finance and Administration Committee that it’s best to think of the plan as two separate projects. The first — the new Football Operations Center — will cost about $90 million. The 105,000-square-foot facility on the west side of TDECU Stadium will house the university’s football operations, including the team's training space, locker room, health and nutrition space, and staff offices.

The project will also connect the facility to TDECU Stadium at the west end zone.

The second project — renovations to TDECU Stadium — will cost around $50 million, Bartlett said. The renovations include a new scoreboard, which will be larger and have higher resolution, making it more in line with the scoreboards at other Big 12 Conference football stadiums, he said. The project will also construct new premium seating, including 14 suites, 392 club seats and a party deck that will have 294 ledge seats.

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https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=0#cxrecs_s

MLB average attendance up so far in 2023; Houston one of top markets

By Chandler France – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
May 25, 2023

Nearly two months into the 2023 MLB season, average attendance is up year over year across the league.

One month into the season, attendance was up 5% compared to last year, with an average of 26,753 fans per game, according to Forbes. Now after about two months, attendance is up even more. Even though average attendance is slightly lower than a month ago at 26,710 as of May 23, it's a 7.5% year-over-year increase, according to Front Office Sports.

The Houston Astros have the seventh-highest average attendance in the MLB as of May 25, according to data from ESPN. Through 25 home games, the Astros have had an average of 37,068 fans at Minute Maid Park, far greater than the league's average attendance.

In 2022, the Astros saw an average attendance of 33,197 in their 81 home games. That was good for No. 7 in the league. If Houston's current pace keeps up through the rest of the season, the club will have an 11.6% year-over-year increase in average attendance.

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https://www.houstonpress.com/news/fo...cated-15717672

NHL to Houston? Four Complications for Landing a Team
JEFF BALKE
MAY 23, 2023
5:00AM

A critical referendum in Arizona that would approve the building of a new hockey arena for the Phoenix Coyotes failed by a wide margin recently. The result is the almost inevitable move of the Coyotes to another city. It's a common refrain, one we've dealt with in Houston when the Oilers moved to Nashville. What once cost us an NFL franchise might gain us one in the NHL.

But before you go breaking out the pucks and hockey sweaters, keep in mind that there are hurdles to moving any team here. They aren't impossible to overcome and Houston, being the fourth largest city in America, is still likely in the driver's seat if we really want to pursue an NHL team. Here's what could derail those plans.

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https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=0#cxrecs_s

Texas Children's Hospital named title sponsor for Houston Open

By Chandler France – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
May 31, 2023

The Houston Open has found a new long-term title sponsor for the golf tournament as the event returns to a spring date on the PGA Tour calendar.

The Astros Golf Foundation and PGA Tour announced May 31 that Houston-based pediatric and women’s health system Texas Children’s Hospital will serve as the title sponsor for the event. The sponsorship is a five-year deal running through the 2028 tournament, the Astros Golf Foundation said. It’s the first time the golf tournament will have a long-term sponsor since Shell Oil Co. ended its sponsorship of the event in 2017.

“This is a big deal for us and it’s a big deal for (Texas Children’s),” Houston Astros Owner and Chairman Jim Crane said during a press conference. “Now this will be bigger, better and be able to help a lot more people.”

Texas Children’s Hospital has been a community partner for the Houston Open for the past two years, but the relationship between the hospital and Crane extends further than that. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Mark Wallace, president and CEO of Texas Children's Hospital, said Crane helped the hospital find supplies and manage supply chain issues.

Wallace added that the partnership made sense for the hospital because the commitment to the community that his organization and the Astros Golf Foundation both share. The tournament was able to raise about $6 million for Houston-area charities during last year’s event.

“To be a part of this tournament, to be affiliated with Jim Crane and everything that he does for the community, the coming together of all of this was based on shared values and friendships,” Wallace told the media. “We’re going to raise more money than I think we ever have before.”

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NRG Park

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...-controls.html

NRG Park’s sustainability initiative with Johnson Controls to save $54M, fund upgrades

By Sofia Gonzalez – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
May 31, 2023

NRG Park welcomed a historic sustainability and energy efficient project that is estimated to generate more than $54 million in savings to fund complex-wide infrastructure upgrades with a May 31 ribbon-cutting.

The project is in collaboration with Johnson Controls Inc. (NYSE: JCI), Harris County and Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation. During the event for the initiative, leaders from each organization came together to further discuss the 20-year energy savings performance contract.

With the project, JCI will work to upgrade building equipment and controls over much of the complex. This includes heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, building automation systems (BAS), water conservation, life safety systems, lighting improvements, as well as high-efficiency chiller upgrades and the integration of JCI OpenBlue Central Utility Plant.

JCI will also measure and verify results with an ongoing service agreement. With the upgrades expected to save money, this will mean no financial impacts will be seen for guests of the park or taxpayers in the county. According to Ryan Walsh, the CEO and executive director of HCSCC, the savings have been guaranteed by JCI.

During the event, Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said additional savings will be redirected back to the county.

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https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=2#cxrecs_s

What Rice University’s move to the American Athletic Conference means for the school

By Chandler France – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Jun 5, 2023

While much attention has been paid to the University of Houston’s move to the Big 12 Conference, another local university is also making a significant conference move come July 1.

Rice University is moving from the Conference USA athletic conference to the American Athletic Conference — the conference UH is leaving to join the Big 12. Rice initially accepted its invitation to join the AAC in October 2021, a move that will become official in less than a month.

The decision makes sense for Rice on a number of levels, said Joe Karlgaard, Rice University’s director of athletics, recreation and lifetime fitness. Rice is currently the only private institution in CUSA and competes against schools that are mostly unfamiliar to its fanbase, he said. Rice aligns better academically with the AAC, which allows the school to compete against more recognizable universities for its fans, such as Southern Methodist University, Tulane University and the University of Tulsa.

RIce will also get national exposure on linear television as a result of the move. A minimum of 40 AAC football games and 60 AAC basketball games will be broadcast on ESPN’s primary television networks, which include ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. Additionally, nearly every conference-controlled game in all sports will appear either on an ESPN network or on ESPN+, according to the conference’s media rights deal with ESPN.

“The exposure to linear television is important to us,” Karlgaard said. “It may be on Thursday or Friday, it may be on ESPNU and not the flagship ESPN, but it’s still an opportunity that we haven’t had for the last 10 years.”

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https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...m-tickets.html

University of Houston Athletics sets TDECU Stadium season ticket record

By Chandler France – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Jun 12, 2023

Ahead of the school’s move to the Big 12 Conference, the University of Houston has sold more football season tickets at TDECU Stadium than ever before.

UH Athletics has surpassed 23,500 football season tickets for the upcoming season, breaking the previous record of 23,489 set in 2016, the university said June 12. That includes 6,000 new paid season tickets, as well as season ticket renewals, student tickets, and sponsorship and partnership agreement tickets.

With TDECU Stadium’s capacity of 40,000, that means over half the stadium is already sold to season ticket holders ahead of Houston’s inaugural Big 12 football season. The number of season ticket holders alone is also quickly approaching Houston’s average home attendance in recent years, which has been about 25,000, Chris Pezman, Houston's vice president for athletics, previously said. Pezman said he expects to see about 35,000 fans at home games this year with multiple games projected to sell out.

“If you can’t tell, there’s a lot of excitement and momentum here heading into the fall,” Pezman said in a June 12 statement. “Jump on board. Our bandwagon will never be too big. We need everybody. This is for the city of Houston, and we’re proud to represent the city of Houston in the Big 12.”

The new record comes after another ticketing record recently set for football. In April, Houston broke the record for new season ticket sales with just over 5,000 at that point. The previous record was set in 2017.

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https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...on-mexico.html

University of Houston athletics to play games in Mexico as part of Big 12 expansion

By Chandler France – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Jun 9, 2023

The University of Houston’s men’s and women’s basketball programs will play games internationally late next year.

The Big 12 Conference — which Houston is officially joining on July 1 — is expanding its presence internationally with the launch of Big 12 Mexico, the conference said June 8. The expansion will kick off in December 2024 with UH’s men’s and women’s basketball squads facing off against the University of Kansas. The games will be held in Mexico City at Arena CDMX. Exact dates have yet to be released.

Following the basketball games, the conference plans to also bring women’s soccer and baseball matches to Mexico. The teams will compete in exhibition matches against clubs in the region, the Big 12 said. This initiative is the first time the conference has held games internationally.

“Mexico is a natural extension to the Big 12 footprint, and I’m thrilled to introduce Big 12 Mexico as the conference’s first-ever international presence,” Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement. “Through Big 12 Mexico, our student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete in an international setting, and our conference will have the chance to showcase our brand across Mexico."

The conference is also looking to establish a college football bowl game in Monterrey that would start in 2026, the Big 12 said. It would be the first bowl game held in Mexico.

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https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...rtnership.html

University of Houston Athletics, TDECU reach major deal to extend partnership, stadium sponsorship

By Chandler France – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Jun 21, 2023

The University of Houston and Texas Dow Employee Credit Union officially inked a $20 million partnership extension, which includes naming rights for TDECU Stadium and other university initiatives.

The extension will maintain TDECU’s naming rights for the university’s football stadium through at least 2034, UH said June 21. The agreement was announced in principle in September 2022 and has now been finalized.

The partnership between UH and TDECU began in July 2014 when the organizations signed a 10-year, $15 million stadium naming rights deal for the university’s new $128 million, 40,000-seat football stadium. At the time, the naming rights deal was one of the most lucrative in the NCAA, with its $1.5 million-per-year price tag being the third-largest in college sports.

The partnership extension is the largest agreement of its kind in the history of UH Athletics, the university said. Additionally, the partnership goes beyond stadium naming rights and includes campus initiatives surrounding food insecurity, financial literacy and workforce development. UH President Renu Khator said the extended partnership better positions the university as it enters the Big 12 Conference and as it pursues becoming a top-50 public university in U.S. News & World Report's annual rankings.

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https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=3#cxrecs_s

Rice Stadium to undergo renovations amid move to American Athletic Conference

By Chandler France – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Jun 29, 2023

Rice Stadium will undergo another $5 million in renovations this offseason, building upon the upgrades the university made last year as it prepares to join the American Athletic Conference.

Many of the upgrades this year will be in premium spaces in the stadium, Joe Karlgaard, director of athletics, recreation and lifetime fitness at Rice, told the Houston Business Journal at the end of May. The university is gutting the south side club and reconfiguring the layout and bar area of the space. The stadium will also feature two new “party decks” — one on the northwest corner of the stadium and the other on the southeast — which will include premium bars and other amenities.

Rice is upgrading premium seating in anticipation of increased demand for those options as the university enters its new conference, Karlgaard said. He added that the university hopes the upgrades will also encourage more fans to come to football games at Rice Stadium, especially as college football attendance has dipped in recent years.

While average college football attendance increased 5% to 41,840 fans per game in 2022, it had been declining for eight straight years prior to that, according to NCAA data reported by CBS Sports. However, the AAC had its lowest average attendance since its inception in 2013 last year, averaging 28,253 fans per football game.

Additionally, Rice wants to create a frictionless experience for Houston college football fans, Karlgaard said. As opposed to heading to a Texas A&M University football game, for example — where fans will likely sit in traffic on their way up to College Station and have limited ideal parking options — Rice is more conveniently located, he said. While Rice has certain pain points of its own, Karlgaard said the university is working to eliminate those and create a seamless game day experience for fans.

“If you’re going to attract people to come to games, you have to get them off their couch or off the golf course or away from whatever else they might be doing on a Saturday afternoon,” Karlgaard said. “Having a premium experience with as little friction as possible is really what we’re after.”

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https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=1#cxrecs_s

Mexican college football league's first-ever regular season U.S. game coming to NRG Stadium


By Chandler France – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Jun 30, 2023

Houston will host an inaugural Mexican college football regular season game this fall.

The Houston Texans and NFL Mexico, in partnership with Tec de Monterrey and NRG Park, have created the inaugural Mexican College Football Showcase, Lone Star Sports and Entertainment said June 29. The first matchup will be held Sept. 8 at NRG Stadium between Tec de Monterrey and Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León.

It’s the first-ever regular season football game played in the U.S. for the Organización Nacional Estudiantil de Fútbol Americano — the major college football league in Mexico.

“We are proud to partner with NFL Mexico and Tec de Monterrey to bring this historic matchup to NRG Stadium this fall,” Houston Texans President Greg Grissom said in a statement. “This partnership presents an exciting opportunity to establish an international network for college football and grow the game on a global level while offering passionate local fans the chance to enjoy the best rivalry in Mexican college football right here in Houston.”

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https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...ns-center.html

University of Houston unveils new renderings, details for Football Operations Center

By Chandler France – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Jul 3, 2023

As a gift for those who patiently waited for the University of Houston’s official move to the Big 12 Conference on July 1, the school unveiled new renderings and additional details about its Football Operations Center.

The new 105,000-square-foot facility is set to house the university’s football program, including the team's training space, locker room, health and nutrition space, and staff offices. The Football Operations Center will align Houston more closely with its new Big 12 peers and help with recruiting, Chris Pezman, UH’s vice president for athletics, previously said. As part of the construction of the new facility, renovations will also be made to TDECU Stadium.

“It’s a pretty dramatic improvement from what we’ve had not just for day-to-day (operations), but also with what we’re trying to achieve with the stadium experience for fans,” Pezman said during a livestream on June 30 celebrating the conference move.

The Football Operations Center will feature a two-story lobby with a grand staircase with red glass, Pezman said. The top floor will feature coaches offices and access to new premium seating, while the bottom floor will house areas for the athletes. The team’s 20,000-square-foot weight room will also be housed on the second floor, Pezman said.

Additionally, the main entrance to the building will feature a 30-foot tall glass facade. Pezman said the university had been working on designs for the facility that would make it stand out and give it character.