West Texas A&M announced Thursday its student body has approved construction of a new on-campus football stadium, needing only approval from the Texas A&M System Board of Regents to become officially official.
If and when the project is approved, the 12,000-seat stadium will begin construction in 2017 with an estimated 12 month construction period.
Once complete, The Stomping Grounds, Thunder Stadium or Buffalo Stadium -- the names WT is considering -- will replace 57-year-old Kimbrough Stadium (originally called the Buffalo Bowl) and added West Texas A&M to the growing list of Texas colleges and universities to build new stadiums since 2000.
New Texas College Football Stadiums Built Since 2011.
This doesn't count SMU's new Gerald J. Ford Stadium built in 2000, TCU and Texas A&M essentially building new stadiums on top of their old ones and major renovations at Texas and Texas Tech. Or Super Bowl-and-Final Four worthy stadiums in Houston and Arlington. Or the Cowboys' palatial new practice complex. Or the new high school football McMansions and indoor practice facilities popping up in seemingly every Dallas-Fort Worth or Greater Houston area county.
If there is money to be had on a new football facility in Texas, Texans will find it. And then spend it.