WT Moving Forward With New Stadium Plans

West Texas A&M is moving forward with plans to build a new on-campus football stadium.

Kimbrough Memorial Stadium, the current home of the Buffaloes, is desperately in need of renovation.  An updated press box, new elevator, and the entire facility needs to be brought into American's with Disabilities Act compliant.  It is expected those cost would run from $35 to $50 million dollars.

It's a huge price tag for an institution the size of West Texas A&M.

Between 2008 and 2009 cost estimates were determined for the renovation of Kimbrough and to build a new facility from the ground up.  It was discovered building a new facility would be dramatically cheaper than renovating the old.  Around $20 million total for the new stadium.

Earlier this year the student body voted to bear the burden of paying for the new stadium through a $10 per semester hour hike to the athletic fee.

The current step in the process is having those cost numbers verified by an independent firm.  Once their findings are released West Texas A&M will make the final decision on whether to proceed, and which option to select.

It is widely expected the new stadium will clear the process.  Construction isn't expected to begin until at least spring 2017 and will take approximately a year.