A History of Kyle Field

[AggieJohn]

Edwin Jackson Kyle, the namesake of Kyle Field. As chairman of the Athletic Council in 1905, he fenced off a portion of land on southwest corner of campus for an athletic field. Kyle then gave $312.63 of his own money to purchase lumber for the building of bleachers with a seating capacity of 500.


1907: A view of the future site of Kyle Field. The first game was played here on Oct. 7, 1905, as A&M defeated the Houston YMCA 29-0. Kyle gave more money in 1907 to buy the grandstand you see above from the Bryan Fair Association.


1927: A concrete grandstand is built on the west side of the field.


1929: The east stands and north stands (horseshoe) are completed at a cost of $350,000. Capacity is now 33,000.

[AggieJohn]

1941: A crowd of 40,000 watches the Southwest Conference champion Aggies battle Texas on Nov. 28. The old Kyle Baseball Field can be seen just above the stadium to the left.


1953: A west side second deck is erected (between the 30 yard lines) along with a new press box with room for 150 writers. Capacity is now 41,500.


1967: The west side second deck is extended to its current position, and an east side second deck is erected. Capacity is now 48,000. Note center field of old Kyle Baseball Field in the bottom left of the photo and 13-year-old G. Rollie White Coliseum at the top right.


1970: The AstroTurf playing surface is installed on Kyle Field, and a grass practice field is built south of the stadium.



1980: The West side third deck and east side third deck are erected, as are a new press box and west side suites. A new scoreboard is also installed at the south end. Capacity is now 70,000.

[AggieJohn]

A shot of senior "boot line" at halftime of a game against Houston in the early 1980s, showing the scoreboard installed several years earlier.


1994: A view of the east side (student section).


1996: A model of the proposed expansion of Kyle Field just prior to the building of "The Zone."


1997: An Astroturf practice field is built south of the stadium (lower left in photo) on the site of the grass practice field. Kyle Field was converted to grass in 1996. Deware Field House and P.L. Downs Natatorium (just north of the stadium's west side) have been demolished.


1999: The $32.9 million north end zone project nears completion, and area is named the Bernard C. Richardson Zone at Kyle Field. First deck seats are moved 65 feet closer to field, second deck (club level) seating is erected, 20 suites are erected, third deck is erected. The "Zone Club"--a 14,000-square foot stadium club--is built just above the club seating. Capacity is now 80,650.


1999: The completed north end zone project is filled for the "Bonfire Game" against Texas on Nov. 25.


2001: The student-organized "Red, White and Blue Out" on Sept. 22 in a win over Oklahoma State honored the victims of the terror attacks 11 days earlier.


2003: The $27 million Bright Football Complex stands completed in the south end of Kyle Field. It houses a new locker room, athletic training room, rehabilitation complex, meeting rooms, coaches offices, players' lounge and state-of-the-art academics center under one roof.

[pirate44]

very nice.

[Phil C]

Magnificient!

[bmbf_06]

aggie john-- that is really cool!! i love the pic of the student section.....i have to say that the aggie games are definately an experience....i love going to them!!!

GIG 'EM

[Bandera YaYa]

Yeah, thanks AJ....I sure couldn't have lived another minute today, not knowng all that !

[pirate44]

Originally posted by Bandera YaYa
Yeah, thanks AJ....I sure couldn't have lived another minute today, not knowng all that !

you mean you read an Aggie John thread?? shame shame. im telling jason.

[CheerMom]

It's a great place to catch a game!!!

[Bandera YaYa]

Originally posted by pirate44
you mean you read an Aggie John thread?? shame shame. im telling jason.

I ain't scared of jason, .....besides jason is my yard boy......

[jason]

Originally posted by Bandera YaYa
I ain't scared of jason, .....besides jason is my yard boy......

yard boy - son in law - its all the same.....

[olddawggreen]

Heres one of my favorite Kyle Field photos

[Bandera YaYa]

Good one Olddawg....

[Rockdale Tiger]

Are they going to build a south zone like the north side of the stadium?

[Bulldog_12]

Originally posted by olddawggreen
Heres one of my favorite Kyle Field photos

Thats not one of MY favorties..............
But nice history A.J. I loved all the old pics.