In 1960, Nobel Prize winning author John Steinbeck drove from sea to shining sea and back again with his standard poodle in a makeshift camper, writing what would become his last great work, Travels with Charley. In the chapter chronicling his stop in Texas, Steinbeck observed the state’s mania for the game of football, even comparing it to a military formation when he writes, “When a Texas team takes the field against a foreign state, it is an army with banners.”
At Kyle Field on the campus of Texas A&M University, this enthusiasm for one’s school colors on the gridiron is indeed a demonstration of pageantry reminiscent of a military parade. Over 30,000 students, the famous 12th Man, many of whom are members of the Corps of Cadets in the university’s ROTC program, stand in reserve for the Aggies during every home game. They sing the Aggie War Hymn. They fire The Spirit of ’02, an old military field gun, to celebrate every touchdown. They wave their banners (white towels) proudly for all foreign states to see. It is a pride crossing over to patriotism.
“A&M is one of the most tradition-rich institutions that I’ve ever been a part of or that I’ve ever heard of,” says Craig Kauffman, Senior Architect/Principal at Populous and project manager for the Kyle Field renovation. “It was a challenge to observe all of the traditions, but they were helpful with shaping the design, as we used them to help frame different aspects.”
Its two-year, $485 million redevelopment completed, Kyle Field now boasts some of the most high-end suites in the business (college or professional), the largest seating capacity in the SEC (102,733), and modern amenities to enhance every fan’s experience. But while the largest construction project in the history of college athletics carries Kyle Field forward into the future, its architecture pays homage to a rich history still breathing amongst the state-of-the-art upgrades at each compass point of the stadium.