HOUSTON, Texas - The chancellor of the Texas A&M System told FOX 26 Sports Wednesday he is 100 percent behind efforts by school officials at Prairie View A&M to build a new football stadium and athletics facility. It will be the first new stadium and facility on the Prairie View Campus in nearly 50 years. This season the Panthers won their first SWAC football championship in nearly 50 years. Head Coach Henry Frazier helped put Prairie View back on the map and Chancellor McKinney has taken note.
Chancellor McKinney used his November '09 visit to the 6,000-seat Blackshear Stadium, which opened in 1960, to talk about ideas for funding improvements. "Prairie View needs a new stadium," McKinney said. "The stadium they have is rundown and needs to be replaced. I am trying to help them raise money for the project. "It's vital and absolutely necessary to build a stadium for Prairie View that reflects the growth and the success of the school." McKinney said he and George Wright, the president of Prairie View, have been discussing ways to enhance sports programs at the second oldest public institution of higher learning in the state of Texas."Building a new athletics facility and stadium at Prairie View is tremendously important," said McKinney. "My opinion is athletics is the front door to our universities. "It's important we get people on our campus. Education is our mission. Athletics is the front door." Prairie View officials have completed 90 percent of their athletics economics study according to Athletics Director Fred Washington. Washington said the first phase, which involves the football stadium and athletics facility, will cost roughly $30 million with groundbreaking expected in around two years. "This is probably one of the largest undertakings that our university and our athletics department has taken on in its existence," said Washington. "We haven't built a new facility since the 60's. "So this is going to be huge for us."
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