Texas Tech on Tuesday announced an $11 million pledge for sports facilities projects from former Tech football player John Sellers and his wife Tracy, a former Red Raiders softball player.
Of that amount, $10 million is designated toward Tech’s planned $200 million football facilities project and $1 million for future renovations at Rocky Johnson Field. The upgrades on the Red Raiders’ softball stadium, Tech said, will include construction of an awning similar to the one at Dan Law Field/Rip Griffin Park, new field netting and an improved sound system.
The $1 million is the largest commitment to Texas Tech’s softball program in the past 20 years, Tech’s announcement said.
As of mid-August, Tech had $74.9 million in donor pledges for the $200 million football project, according to Andrea Tirey, Tech senior associate athletics director for development. The Sellers’ $10 million pledge for football facilities was included in that amount, although they had not been named publicly at that time.
Tech also has pledges of $25 million from Regent Cody Campbell, $20 million from Regent Dusty Womble and a separate $10 million, $5 million and $1.25 million from donors who have not been named publicly.
Another dozen pledges have been made in amounts ranging from $250,000 to $25,000. Tech provided those donation amounts recently in response to an open-records request from The Avalanche-Journal.
After the announcement Tuesday, Tech senior associate athletics director Robert Giovannetti said the total amount pledged is now at $77 million “with a lot pending.”
“Momentum is strong,” Giovannetti said.
Tech announced the pledges by Campbell and Womble last fall. The two-story daily operations building planned to replace the existing Football Training Facility will be named the Dustin R. Womble Football Center, and Tech also added the name Cody Campbell Field to Jones AT&T Stadium.
Tech plans to break ground on the football facilities projects as soon as the 2022 regular season ends. It hopes to top $100 million in private funding by that time. Tech plans for a significant amount of the $200 million price target to come from revenue generated by suites, club seats and loge boxes in the new south end zone building.
Tech announced plans for the project on July 11. Level one of the four-level building will house a 7,200-square-foot field-level club for game day viewing, home and visitor locker rooms, home and visitor press conference rooms and a recruiting lounge. Level two will feature loge boxes, as well as new entry points and concessions areas for fans. Level three will house coaches offices, and the top level will be premium suites.
When the south end-zone building is done, the Red Raiders’ new game day locker room at Jones AT&T Stadium will be in the southeast corner, where visiting teams dress now. The new visitors’ locker room will be in either the southwest or northeast corner of the stadium, Giovannetti said recently.
Tech coach Joey McGuire’s office will be on the third level of the building, in the southeast corner near one of the two bell towers. Tech hopes to have the south end-zone building project completed in time for the 2024 season.
Tech football
Texas Tech announced Tuesday that the Red Raiders’ game Saturday against Texas has reached sellout status. It’s the first sellout for a home game since 2018, when all tickets were sold for Red Raiders’ games against Texas and Oklahoma.
Tech is encouraging fans to download their mobile tickets before game day. Those still wanting tickets for Saturday’s game are encouraged to go to Stubhub, Tech’s secondary partner. Tech also reserves about 13,000 seats for students who have paid the university athletics fee.
Tech women’s golf
COLLEGE STATION — Texas Tech junior Gala Dumez birdied three of her last five holes to shoot 1-under-par 71 on Tuesday in the second round of Texas A&M’s “Mo” Morial Invitational.
Tech was tied for eighth place at 12-under-par near the end of the day, during which players from 14 teams played 36 holes at Traditions Golf Club. Dumez, who shot 75 in her first round, was in a group tied for 22nd place at 2-over.
With players still on the course, Tech freshman Shannon Tan (74-73) was tied for 27th at 3-over, and sophomore Libby Fleming (74-74) was tied for 31st at 4-over. Close behind them was freshman Lauren Zaretsky (73-76) at 5-over and sophomore Chiara Horder (76), who was 6-over for the day with one hole to go in her second round.
The final round of the 54-hole event is scheduled for Wednesday.
Texas had the clubhouse lead at 14 under par, followed by Texas A&M at 11-under and Florida at 7-under. Next behind them, all with players still on the course, were Miami at 1-over, North Carolina at 3-over and Houston at 5-over.
LCU men’s golf
PUEBLO, Colo. — Lubbock Christian University’s Braxton Floyd 72-72-70, finishing at 2-under-par and 11th place out of 65 players in the Samuel Proal Invitational that concluded Tuesday at Walking Stick Golf Course. The 214 total was a career-best for the senior from Pampa.
Colorado State-Pueblo won the tournament by 33 strokes over Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, and LCU finished 10th out of 12 teams. Chaps sophomore Tiaan de Jager (73-73-76) tied for 30th, and freshman Hayden Bowman (77-74-73) from Lubbock-Cooper tied for 38th. Rounding out the LCU lineup were Jake Bowen (73-80-75) and Garrett Auger (81-79-76).
LCU women’s golf
SAN ANGELO — Aspen Escamilla placed seventh and Prestley Hammond tied for 19th, leading Lubbock Christian University to fifth out of six teams in Angelo State’s Concho River Classic that wrapped up Tuesday at Bentwood Country Club.
Escamilla shot 75-78 to finish 9 over par, and Hammond carded an 81-78. Also playing for the Lady Chaps were Lily Griffin (84-78), Alexandra Escamilla (78-86) and Jordyn Hall (87-90).
Texas A&M International won the team title in a playoff against Angelo State. Angelo’s Sierra Sanz (73-76) was the tournament medalist. Western Texas College was 11 shots back in third place, led by Beth Norton (76-76) and Chayenne Chivrac (77-80), who tied for fifth and 14th, respectively.
LCU women’s soccer
Lubbock Christian University, coming off a tie with top-ranked Dallas Baptist, will try to stay undefeated when the Lady Chaps visit Oklahoma Christian for a Lone Star Conference match at 4 pm Wednesday.
LCU (4-0-4, 1-0-1) battled DBU to a 1-1 draw on Saturday. Lady Chaps forward Lexi De La Cruz, a sophomore from Coronado, is tied for second in the conference with eight goals.
Oklahoma Christian (2-3-2, 0-2) was shut out by Texas Woman’s and Angelo State in its first two conference matches.