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Whether baseball or softball, a track meet or game at Kyle Field, you’ll be hard pressed to find a college town more spirited than College Station. Maybe it’s the small town locale, maybe it’s the illustrious history, or maybe its the simple traditions multiplied over generations that create quite the legacy for every student lucky enough to call themselves Aggies. Baseball season is just another excuse to put that Aggie spirit to good use--along with the omnipresent maroon and white wardrobes of students and former students alike. Thanks to the support of the fans and the power of the teams, anything can happen for the Aggies. Do your part by showing up to support the team this season at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.

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Facilities Tour: Texas A&M

Last Updated on October 8, 2011

When I visited Texas A&M last month I had the pleasure of going on an athletics facilities tour with Kevin Hurley, Associate Athletic Director for Construction and Facilities. Considered collectively, A&M’s facilities are top-notch. The only major improvements needed are to Kyle Field and the football training facilities, and there appear to be plans for that in the near future.

I took plenty of pictures and notes so I could take you on a tour of the facilities as well.

First up was the basketball arena and attached practice facilities.

Here you can see the floor being put down for volleyball. Reed Arena seats 12,500 and has no suites. However, Hurley tells me they could fit 10 if there was a demand for suites. I’ve written previously about how suites can make all the difference in which schools are profiting from basketball and which are not.

Hurley says men’s basketball averages 6,700-7,700 per home game, and women’s basketball averages 3,000-3,200. The numbers drop greatly when games are held while school is out of session. Student attendance keeps the place nearly full when games are played while students are on campus.

Although Reed Arena is not large enough to hold the men’s basketball finals, A&M is hosting the 2012 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship in March.

This portion of Reed Arena, where competition is held for basketball and volleyball, is owned by a separate entity outside of the school and leased by the athletic department. However, the next stop on our tour, the practice facilities, are owned by the school and are on par with the best I’ve seen in the country.

When you walk into the building that houses the men’s and women’s basketball practice facilities you enter an atrium. To one side you enter the men’s facilities and to the other you enter the women’s facilities. They are mirror images of one another. Each includes a practice court, weight room, training room, locker room, and a lounge.

Above is the weight room on the men’s side. Below is the lounge for the player’s and a meeting room.

Now comes the most impressive locker I’ve seen at any Division I school. Each men’s and women’s basketball player has a locker like the one pictured below – complete with computer, desk and chair.

Below are pictures of the empty locker room and the training room on the men’s side.

Next up was the women’s soccer field…

Although I haven’t visited all of the softball stadiums in the SEC, I’m told A&M’s (seen below) will fall near the bottom of the pile, while baseball (not pictured because it’s undergoing massive renovations) will be one of the top two or three.

Swim and dive facilities are a part of the student recreation center and are rented by the athletic department for practicies and meets.

There are only a handful of indoor tracks on college campuses around the nation, and I’m told by many from within and outside the school that Texas A&M’s indoor track facility is the very best.

The facility that is probably next in line for a facelift is Texas A&M’s weight room for football, located just behind the south end zone. Should the rumored plans to add seating in the south end zone come to fruition, I don’t see how this building could remain intact in its current location. I’m guessing that means a new one will be constructed. There’s nothing wrong with the current facility, it just hasn’t been updated as recently as the other athletic facilities.

There’s also a nice lounge for the football players…

The football locker room is as nice as any I’ve seen, but I still think the basketball players have the best lockers.

At each school I’ve visited, I always ask about capital campaigns for athletics. At A&M they’ve gone to project-based capital campaigns instead of big generic athletics campaigns. They’ve found they often have donors who are interested in a particular sport. For example, right now they have a potential donor who might be interested in adding clay courts to the tennis complex. No other Division I school has clay tennis courts. While they wouldn’t be used in competition, it could be used as a recruiting tool to lure tennis players with pro aspirations.

The other thing I noticed at A&M that you don’t see at every school is separate weight rooms and training facilities for nearly every sport. There are a few sports grouped together, like basketball and volleyball, but there are many small weight rooms and training rooms instead of one big one of each that all athletes have to share. Not every school has gone to this model. Some believe it’s best not to segregate the athletes from one another. However, if you have the money, this setup sure was nice.

Overall, I was impressed with many of A&M’s facilities. The basketball practice gyms and accompanying weight rooms, training rooms and locker rooms were the best I’ve seen anywhere and are comparable to the more highly publicized facilities at Louisville (which I’ll detail in a later post).

Plenty of building and renovation has taken place during Bill Byrne’s tenure at Texas A&M, so expect to see more upgrades in the future.

Thank you to Athletic Director Bill Byrne and Associate Athletic Director Kevin Hurley for letting me take a peek inside A&M’s facilities!

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John Sternal

Wow what a great blog post. Thanks for bringing us into the world of A&M athletics. The pics are great, too. I’ve got to believe if they can get a recruit down to the facility it’s pretty easy to close them based on this tour. Wonder what their closing ratio is??

John @sternalpr

Prof. Clifford Benton

Superb article with great pix.

Nice post and pic’s. Excited about joining the SEC…

Thanks so much!!!

Blue Bell, Kruses Pledge $7 Million To Upgrade Texas A&M’s Baseball Stadium

Texas A&M former students and Blue Bell Creameries executives Ed. and Howard Kruse of Brenham along with Blue Bell Creameries have pledged a $7 million lead gift to the 12th Man Foundation’s Championship Vision capital campaign for the renovation and expansion of Olsen Field. In recognition of this generous gift, the Texas A&M athletic department leadership has requested that the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents name the extensive new construction as “Blue Bell Park,” and that the official name of the baseball facility be changed to C.E. “Pat” Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park. The Board of Regents will consider formal acceptance of the gift at its meeting on Dec. 2, 2010.

“When we thought of a perfect partner to complete this fantastic facility, the name of one family came to mind. The support of the Kruse’s and Blue Bell for Aggie baseball go together like Peaches and Homemade Vanilla!”, said Miles Marks, President of the 12 th Man Foundation.

Blue Bell Creameries, located about 40 miles south of College Station has become known to ice cream lovers across the country as “the Little Creamery in Brenham.” It was founded in 1907 as the Brenham Creamery Company, which made butter from the excess cream produced by local farmers. Ice cream was added to the product line in 1911, produced at the rate of two gallons a day, which were made in a wooden tub filled with ice. In 1930, the name of the company was changed to “Blue Bell” after the favorite Texas wildflower of the company’s manager, E.F. Kruse. Not to be confused with the Texas state flower the bluebonnet, which blooms in early spring, the blue bell blooms in the heat of the summer, just when ice cream is most popular.

Kruse, a former schoolteacher, joined the company as manager in 1919 when he was just 23. He guided and built the creamery until his death in 1951 when his sons Ed and Howard took over leadership. Paul, Ed.’s son, has been CEO of the privately-held company since 2004. The family-run company has slowly expanded from its humble beginnings to now sell ice cream in parts of 19 mostly southern states.

Like the company, Texas A&M University has been a significant part of the Kruse family’s legacy. Ed. graduated in 1949, Howard in 1952 and Paul in 1977. Among the numerous honors they have received, both Ed. and Howard are distinguished alumni of Texas A&M and are outstanding alumni of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

“Howard and I are proud of our association with Texas A&M and what it has meant to us over the years. We are honored to be able to give back in some way,” said Ed. Kruse.  Added Howard, “Texas A&M has certainly influenced the way in which we do business at Blue Bell, so what better way to show appreciation from our family and our company than to support this project. Besides, nothing goes better with baseball than Blue Bell ice cream.”

Although Blue Bell is available in only a small percentage of the nation’s supermarkets, it is the third best-selling ice cream in the country. The creamery’s success has enabled the Kruse family to generously give back to the community. The Kruse family is involved in many civic endeavors in Brenham and throughout the state, and they have been particularly supportive of Blinn College and Texas A&M University.

As such, the “Blue Bell” name is a natural fit at Olsen Field, which is known nationally for being the home of some of the most passionate fans in all of college baseball. Texas A&M is traditionally among the nation’s leaders in annual baseball attendance, and the playing surface at Olsen is known as one of the premier fields in the country. A new covered batting facility was added along the left field line in 2004, and the planned improvements will make it the finest collegiate baseball facility in the country.

To address the competitive needs of the baseball program, the 12 th Man Foundation formed the Olsen Field committee, led by co-chairs Jerry Cox and Steve Morris, in 2009. The committee held gatherings across the state to inform potential donors about plans for a two-part renovation. The $16 million first phase of that plan includes the construction of a two-story student-athlete center housing a new locker room, player’s lounge, coaches’ offices, training and weight facilities as well as club seating, widening of the concourse, and new concession stands and restrooms.

A secondary $8 million phase includes a dramatic new exterior façade of the facility, removal of metal bleachers and construction of grassy berm seating areas on both the first base and third base sides. Additionally, construction of suites along the top of the stadium and numerous fan and family amenities throughout the ballpark will be added.

Along with the current campaign commitments of over $15 million toward the Phase I goal of $16 million and the sales of premium seats and suites, the $7 million gift from the Kruse brothers and Blue Bell to the 12th Man Foundation will make it possible to complete all phases of the $24 million renovation and expansion of the baseball stadium.

Construction will begin in February 2011, and once complete, Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park will combine the best of both worlds: State-of-the-art facilities and the most enthusiastic collegiate baseball fans in the country. A reception honoring the Kruse family and the formal unveiling of new renderings of Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park is planned for early 2011. The construction of this project will bring to an end the 12 th Man Foundation’s Championship Vision capital campaign.

Thanks to the generosity of more than 2,500 donor families who have invested $135 million over the last decade, Texas A&M’s athletic facilities have dramatically improved. These upgrades have, in turn, helped advance its many athletic programs and the payoff has been seen in the championship prizes. Prior to the Championship Vision campaign, the Aggies’ highest finish in the Directors’ Cup was 20th in 1995-96. In 2006-07, Texas A&M won seven Big 12 titles, the most in school history. In 2008-09, A&M won more national championships (three) than any other school in the country. And in 2009-10, Texas A&M finished a school-best sixth nationally in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings.

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WATCH: See inside the new Texas baseball player development facility

Fall practice provided the Longhorns an opportunity to benefit from a new weight room, nutrition center, batting cages, and bullpen.

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For years, the dirty stain on the Texas Longhorns baseball program was the limiter restricting the possibility for maximum success by the lack of an indoor practice facility, an area where the Forty Acres lagged behind not only in the Big 12 Conference, but also nationally.

With the arrival of athletics director Chris Del Conte, that’s finally changed — ground broke on the J. Dan Brown Player Development Center in September 2018 and it opened in time for fall practice this year, becoming the first facility on campus paid for entirely by donors.

“The bottom line is, this does not happen without the generosity of our donors,” Texas baseball head coach David Pierce said. “Our players had an opportunity to go in the facility last night and just watching their faces light up when they realized what they are receiving because of the amazing support is really special.”

Honoring the past. Building the future. This is the J. Dan Brown Family Player Development Center. This is Texas. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/AX9Z1srQhm — Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) November 22, 2019

Sports Performance Center: 3,700 sq ft of goals. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/PiIMbKuVtm — Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) November 22, 2019

The 21,500-square foot facility includes a new weight room with nearly double the space, a state-of-the-art nutrition center, batting cages, bullpen, an alumni locker room, and office space.

It’s the batting cages and bullpen area, which feature integrated technology, that should have the biggest impact on the program:

In the heart of the facility is a 5,500-square-foot multi-purpose turf area with adjustable netting for batting cages. An extremely versatile space, it can be configured to have one enclosed area for live at-bats or up to six individual batting cages depending on the situation. The 2,200-square-foot bullpen and pitching lab includes three mounds and state-of-the-art technology for recording bullpen sessions and breaking down video.

Texas has now completed fall practice with the conclusion of the Fall World Series, but the impact the player development facility will have on the program is only just beginning.

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Texas A&M Aggies Remain Idle At No. 3 In Latest D1 Baseball Rankings

The Texas A&M Aggies remain deep in the hunt for the postseason after securing three of four wins over the weekend against South Carolina and UTSA.

• Author: Cole Thompson

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Another week, another top-three ranking for Texas A&M baseball.

The Aggies remained idle in D1 Baseball's rankings entering Week 8 of the regular season, coming in once again at No. 3. A&M secured a run-rule mid-week win over Texas State before taking two of three against No. 22 South Carolina in Columbia.

While pitching has been a concern away from Blue Bell Park, the offense has continued to produce away from College Station, averaging 7.75 runs per game in eight contests. Over the four-game road trip, A&M averaged 8 runs per contest, including scoring nine or more in back-to-back games.

Designated hitter Hayden Schott served as 'Mr. Consistency' in Columbia. Over the three games, the senior hit .429 (6 of 14) with one home run, nine RBI and a stolen base. He recorded three RBIs in all three games. 

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Five players reached base in multiple games, including outfielders Jace LaViolette and Braden Montgomery. Jackson Appel, Ted Burton and Ali Camarillo each finished with at least two RBI on the weekend.

On the mound, pitching prevailed. Left-hander Ryan Prager surrendered only two runs on four hits and a hit by pitch while striking out 12 Gamecocks in 6.1 innings. Tanner Jones only lasted 2.2 innings in Saturday's win, but Shane Sdao picked up his fifth win by delivering four frames of scoreless ball.

Justin Lamkin gave up five runs in 3.1 innings, picking up his first loss of the season in Game 3. The offense surged behind Schott and LaViolette's homers in the sixth and eighth innings, respectively, but the damage was too far done.

The Aggies were one of eight SEC schools listed in the top 25 this week. Arkansas remained idle at the top spot while Tennessee stood pat at No. 4. Vanderbilt (No. 6) and Kentucky (No. 8) rounded out the top 10. Mississippi State (No. 22), Florida (No. 24), and Alabama (No. 25) rounded out the bottom five.

The Aggies return to Blue Bell Park for a five-game homestand beginning Tuesday at 6 p.m. against UTSA.

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Texas A&M Delivers Dominant Victory Against Vanderbilt, Highlighting College Baseball Roundup

Image credit: Braden Montgomery (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)

In a top-five showdown Friday night at Blue Bell Park, No. 3 Texas A&M left absolutely no doubt against No. 5 Vanderbilt. The Aggies delivered a comprehensive rout, beating the Commodores, 15-0, in seven innings.

From the very start of the game, Texas A&M (30-4, 9-4) was in control. Lefthander Ryan Prager needed just 12 pitches to retire the Commodores in order in the top of the first inning, striking out two batters. In the bottom half, leadoff hitter Gavin Grahovac walked and Jace LaViolette and Braden Montgomery followed with back-to-back home runs off righthander Bryce Cunningham. It was off to the races from there for the Aggies.

Prager retired the first 13 batters of the game before Jayden Davis broke through in the fifth inning with Vanderbilt’s first hit. Prager finished the night with 10 strikeouts in seven innings. He walked none and scattered four hits to improve to 7-0, 1.98 with 73 strikeouts and five walks in 50 innings. A&M is 8-1 in his starts.

The Aggies’ offense was just as good as Prager. They pounded out 17 hits, including four doubles and five home runs. LaViolette (2-for-3, 6 RBI) and Montgomery (2-for-4, 4 RBI) both homered twice and first baseman Ted Burton (2-for-4) added a double and a home run.

The Aggies (second) and the Commodores (10th) both came into Friday’s game ranked in the top 10 in the nation in ERA. What might have been a pitcher’s duel instead was a rout. A&M’s 15 runs and 17 hits were the most by any team in a game against Vanderbilt since May 21, 2022, when LSU scored 21 runs on 17 hits on the final day of the regular season.

A&M has produced an impressive season to date. No team has more wins than it and only top-ranked Arkansas has a better winning percentage (.909 vs. .882). With that resume, the Aggies didn’t need to prove anything, but Friday gave them a signature win, arguably the best win any team has produced this season. They still need to win another game and clinch the series, but A&M couldn’t have asked for a better start to the weekend.

Vanderbilt (26-8, 8-5), meanwhile, will look to forget Friday as soon as possible. The Commodores are now 2-5 in road games and need to find a way to get something out of this weekend. They’ll turn to lefthander Carter Holton (5-0, 3.27) in Saturday’s game and ask their standout junior to help them get back on track.

Friday night is for the aces. Here we highlight some of the best pitching performances of the day, in addition to Prager .

Davian Garcia, RHP, Florida Gulf Coast: Garcia threw seven scoreless innings to lead FGCU to a 6-0 victory at Stetson, opening a showdown for first place in the ASUN Conference. He struck out seven batters and held the Hatters to two hits and four walks. Garcia was making just his second start of the season and improved to 2-2, 3.08 with 36 strikeouts and nine walks in 26.1 innings.

Landon Smiddy, RHP, Tennessee Tech: Smiddy threw a three-hit shutout to help Tennessee Tech to a 4-0 victory at Lindenwood. The senior struck out 10 batters and worked around five walks for his first career complete game. He is 3-3, 4.67 with 54 strikeouts and 19 walks in 52 innings.

Khal Stephan, RHP, Mississippi State: Stephan threw eight scoreless innings to help Mississippi State to an 8-0 road win against archrival Mississippi. The junior struck out nine batters, walked none and held the Rebels to three hits. Stephan improved to 5-2, 2.84 with 56 strikeouts and 12 walks in 50.2 innings.

Bryson Van Sickle, LHP, Utah: Van Sickle threw a three-hit shutout to lead Utah to a 10-0 victory at Arizona State. He struck out eight, walked none and hit a batter. He faced just two batters over the minimum, retired the final 14 batters of the game and needed only 82 pitches for the shutout. Van Sickle improved to 2-0, 2.44 with 35 strikeouts and 13 walks in 51.2 innings this season.

Trey Yesavage and Jackson DiLorenzo, East Carolina: Yesavage and DiLorenzo combined for a no-hitter in ECU’s 11-0, seven-inning victory against Charlotte. Yesavage struck out 12 batters and walked three in the first six innings before DiLorenzo finished the no-hitter with a perfect inning. The no-hitter was the Pirates’ second in three games as they also threw one Tuesday in a 12-0, seven-inning victory against Elon. Yesavage, a Preseason All-American, improved to 7-1, 1.66 with 86 strikeouts and 17 walks in 54.1 innings.

Around The Horn

• NC State went on the road and upset No. 2 Clemson, 11-8. The Wolfpack (19-12, 9-7) made the Tigers pay for some sloppy play, as they drew seven walks and scored six unearned runs, taking advantage of three errors. The win snapped NC State’s five-game losing streak. Clemson (28-5, 10-3), meanwhile, has now lost back-to-back games after losing Tuesday against S.C.-Upstate. The Tigers had lost just three games all season coming into this week.
• No. 1 Arkansas defeated No. 16 Alabama, 5-3, in Tuscaloosa. The Razorbacks extended their winning streak to 11 games, the longest active streak in the country, behind another quality start from All-American Hagen Smith (6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K). While Arkansas (30-3, 12-1) is streaking the right way, Alabama (22-12, 4-9) has lost five straight and six of its last seven games.
• West Virginia defeated No. 19 UCF, 7-6, to remain in first place in the Big 12. The Mountaineers scored three runs in the seventh to retake the lead before closer David Hagaman slammed the door with five strikeouts in two scoreless innings. Outfielder Kyle West went 3-for-4 with a home run and a triple, driving in four runs for West Virginia (20-13, 9-4).
• No. 18 Wake Forest stayed hot with a 13-1 victory in eight innings at Boston College to extend its winning streak to six games. First baseman Nick Kurtz (2-for-5, 2B, HR) stayed red hot at the plate. He’s homered in seven straight games, hitting 11 home runs and going 15-for-28 in that stretch. Righthander Chase Burns struck out eight batters in 6.1 innings, passing the century mark in just his ninth start of the season. Burns is 7-1, 3.00 and leads the nation with 105 strikeouts in 57 innings.
• No. 10 Kentucky defeated Auburn, 9-1, to clinch a road series win. The Wildcats hit six home runs on the night, including two from first baseman Ryan Nicholson (2-for-5, 3 RBI). Dominic Niman (5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K) led the way on the mound, as the Wildcats held the Tigers to six hits on the night. Kentucky (29-5, 13-1) continued its sensational start to conference play and has won 10 of its last 11 games.

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VIDEO TOUR: Texas A&M facilities construction

Take a look inside the Ags’ latest facilities update

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Texas A&M is in the midst of massive facilities upgrade for several programs across the campus, none of which moreso than football, thanks to the 12th Man Foundation’s Centennial Campaign . The $120 million donations campaign launched in spring 2022, and was fully funded just a year later, and will fund the majority of a $205 million facilities upgrade.

Athletic Director Ross Bjork guided us on a video tour of the ongoing construction, and the benefits of each of these new facilites.

The upgrades include:

• A new indoor track competition facility
• The Coolidge Football Performance Center (the largest indoor practice facility in the country)
• The Adam C. Sinn ‘00 Academic & Wellness Center
• Renovations to the renamed Bright-Slocum Center (including a new locker room, offensive and defensive walkthrough rooms, a recruiting room, among other changes)
• Addition of luxury suites to the south end of Kyle Field

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University of Texas Athletics

Four Longhorns set for induction into Texas Sports Hall of Fame

Longhorn Legends Jamaal Charles, Colt McCoy, Bubba Thornton and Christa Williams to be inducted on Saturday in Waco.

WACO, Texas — Four Longhorn greats will be inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2024 on Saturday, April 13. Jamaal Charles (football), Colt McCoy (football), Bubba Thornton (track & field) and Christa Williams (softball) are part of a group of nine members who will be honored.

The 63rd Annual Texas Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet presented by Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, will be held in the BASE at Extraco Events Center in Waco on Saturday. The Texas Sports Hall of Fame 2024 class also includes Waco native and National Baseball Hall of Famer Andy Cooper, Texas Baseball Hall of Fame (2006) and Houston Astros Hall of Fame (2021) inductee Judge Roy Hofheinz, former Prairie View A&M track & field coach Barbara Jacket, former Texas Tech football head coach Mike Leach and former Texas A&M football head coach Jackie Sherrill.

Charles , the next in a long line of premier Longhorn running backs who went on to success in the NFL, was a three-time All-Big 12 selection and a key part of three 10-win teams, including the Longhorns' 2005 National Championship team. From 2005-07, Charles played in 38 games during a three-year stretch that saw the Longhorns post a 33-6 (19-5, Big 12) record, including a 13-0 mark in 2005. Charles and UT won three bowl games, finished in the top 15 all three years and posted a pair of top-10 finishes in 2005 and 2007. The 2005 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, he carried the ball 533 times for 3,328 yards (No. 5 in school history) and 36 touchdowns (No. 5 in school history), while catching 49 passes for 539 yards and three TDs over his three-year collegiate career.

He produced one of the best seasons by a running back in Texas history en route to first-team All-Big 12 honors as a junior, rushing for 1,619 yards (No. 6 on UT's single-season list) and 18 TDs (No. 5 on UT's single-season list) on 258 carries (6.3 ypc). Charles was just the fourth Longhorn at the time, and still currently one of only five, to rush for more than 1,500 yards in a season. He ran for more than 100 yards on 11 occasions (No. 8 in UT history), including seven times in 2007. A second-team All-Big 12 selection as a true freshman in 2005, Charles logged 1,035 yards from scrimmage (878 rush/157 rec) and 13 total TDs (11 rush/2 rec) that year. He began his career with the top freshman rushing debut in UT history, tallying 135 rushing yards in against Louisiana-Lafayette. He also earned second-team All-Big 12 recognition as a sophomore after tallying 1,014 yards from scrimmage (831 rush/183 rec) and eight TDs (7 rush/1 rec).

Charles also competed with the UT Track and Field team as a sprinter for two seasons. He collected four All-America honors and won the 100-meter dash at the 2006 Big 12 Outdoor Championships. Today, Charles still holds the fourth-fastest 60-meter dash time in school history (6.65), the ninth-best in the 100 meters (10.23) and the 10th-best in the 200 meters (20.62).

The 73rd overall pick in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, Charles played 11 seasons in the NFL, nine with the Chiefs. A four-time Pro Bowl selection (2011, 2013-15) and three-time All-Pro (2011, 2013-14), he is the Chiefs' all-time leading rusher (7,260 yds). In addition, Charles holds Chiefs records for career yards per carry (5.5), longest rushing play from scrimmage (91 yards), rushing yards in a game (259), points scored in a game (30), and receiving TDs in a game (4). The four receiving TDs are also an NFL record by a running back, in addition to his NFL records for rushing yards in a quarter (165) and career yards per carry average by a running back (5.4 ypc). Charles recorded five 1,000-yard seasons, including three-straight from 2012-14.

The Port Arthur, Texas native discovered he had a learning disability in the third grade after having difficulty reading, and through that experience went on to develop a strong relationship with the Special Olympics after thriving in Track and Field competition. To this day, Charles serves as a Global Ambassador for the Special Olympics movement. He was recognized by the Texas House of Representatives for his philanthropic and athletic achievements in March 2015. Charles officially retired as a Kansas City Chief in 2019, and he and his family currently reside in Austin.

McCoy , a two-time winner of the prestigious Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF) National Player of the Year award, consensus first-team All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist, is one of six Longhorns with his jersey number retired at Texas. In addition to those honors, McCoy claimed the Maxwell Award (nation's top player), AT&T Player of the Year, Davey O'Brien Award (nation's top QB), Manning Award (nation's top QB) and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (nation's top QB) as a senior in 2009. He was also named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year by both The Associated Press and the league's coaches that year and earned that honor twice from The AP. McCoy earned bowl game offensive MVP honors three times in leading Texas to victories at the 2006 Alamo Bowl, 2007 Holiday Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl following the 2008 season.

A four-year starter with a 45-8 career record, he finished his career as the NCAA's all-time winningest quarterback and was the first QB in major college football history to lead a team to four 10-win seasons. He is also the first QB in Texas history to lead his team to consecutive 12-win seasons and just the second, joining Vince Young, to lead his team to consecutive 11-win seasons. A redshirt backup to Young on the 2005 National Championship team, McCoy led Texas to a 13-1 record and No. 2 ranking in 2009, a 12-1 mark and No. 3 ranking in 2008, and a pair of 10-3 records in 2006-07 with a No. 10 ranking in 2007 and No. 13 in 2006.

Statistically, McCoy finished his career with 47 school records including 16 career, 13 single-season, five single-game, six freshman and seven miscellaneous marks. During his 53-game career, he completed 1,157-of-1,645 passes (70.3 percent) for 13,253 yards and 112 TDs for a passer rating of 155.0. When his career concluded, his 13,253 passing yards were sixth on the NCAA all-time list, his 112 TD passes ranked seventh and his 70.3 career completion was just shy of the NCAA record. In addition, McCoy rushed for 1,571 yards and 20 TDs on 447 carries (3.5 ypc), while rushing and passing for a TD in the same game 14 times during his career. In combining his passing (112) and rushing (20) TDs, McCoy finished his career ranked sixth on the NCAA's touchdowns responsible for list and first at UT in that category with 132. He had scored at least one TD in 30 straight games entering the 2009 BCS National Championship Game. McCoy is UT's all-time leader in total offense and finished his career ranked fourth on the NCAA all-time list in that category, having produced 14,824 yards (13,253p/1,571r) on 2,092 plays (7.1 ypp).

In 14 games as a senior in 2009, the year he led Texas to a Big 12 title and the National Championship game, McCoy completed 332-of-470 (70.6 percent) for 3,521 yards and 27 TDs, while rushing for another 348 yards and three TDs. His 70.6 completion percentage led the nation. McCoy's 147.4 pass efficiency rating ranked 16th, and he averaged 26.6 yards per TD pass on his 27 scoring throws. As a junior in 2008, he set UT single-season records for passing yards (3,859), passing TDs (34) and total offense (4,420). With the addition of his 11 rushing TDs, he also set the UT single-season record for most TDs responsible for with 45 that year. McCoy was the Sporting News National Freshman of the Year and Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2006 and set UT freshman records for victories by a QB (10) and TD passes (29).

A standout on and off the field, he received the 2009 Bobby Bowden Award (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and was a National Football Foundation (NFF) Scholar-Athlete and three-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection. He also was a member of the AFCA Good Works team for his community service efforts. He graduated in December 2009 with a degree in sports management,

A third-round selection by the Cleveland Browns in the 2010 NFL Draft, McCoy has played 13 NFL seasons. That's second only to Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Bobby Layne's 15 NFL seasons for a Longhorn quarterback. McCoy has also played for the Browns (2010-12), San Francisco 49ers (2013), Washington Redskins (2014-19), New York Giants (2020) and Arizona Cardinals (2021-22). He has played in 56 career games with 36 starts and thrown for 7,975 yards and 34 TDs, while also rushing for 582 yards and two TDs.

Thornton will forever be known as one of the most successful coaches in Texas Track & Field history. For 18 years, Thornton dominated the track and field scene, coaching the likes of Olympians Trey Hardee, Leo Manzano, Mark Boswell, Raymond Stewart and Marquise Goodwin. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Thornton was the head men's track and field coach for Team USA where two Longhorns Hardee and Manzano joined him in the decathlon and the 1500m, respectively.

His impact was instantly felt on the Forty Acres when Thornton's team won the final SWC title in his first season with the Longhorns before moving to the Big 12. In 1996, he coached Richard Duncan to an NCAA title in the long jump and then later coached him in the Olympics. Thornton led Texas to Big 12 outdoor track and field titles in three different decades (1997, 1999, 2003, 2006 & 2013).

His reign in Austin saw his Texas teams twice finish in the top-10 at the NCAA Championships in 2012 (tied for ninth) and 2013 (sixth). Thornton's men's teams finished in the top-15 at the NCAA 13 times, including four top-five finishes. Indoors, he had the Longhorns finish in the top-10 for seven-straight seasons at NCAAs, the top finishes being from 2006-08, finishing fourth in 2006 followed by back-to-back third-place finishes.

In her two seasons on the Forty Acres, Williams was as dominate a force in the pitching circle as a student-athlete could be. In addition to leading The University of Texas' softball program to its first-ever Women's College World Series appearance in 1998, when the Longhorns ended the season ranked as the seventh-best team in the country.

Williams, alongside teammate Nikki Cockrell, were the first-ever National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) First-Team All-Americans in program history after the pair earned the honor following the '98 campaign. She was also the 1998 Big 12 Conference's Newcomer of the Year, two-time NFCA All-Midwest Region selection, two-time All-Big 12 honoree, a nine-time Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, two-time NFCA National Player of the Week and the 1998 NCAA Regional Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

Williams, after beginning her collegiate career at UCLA, arrived in Austin having already achieved greatness after earning a gold medal with the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team. She returned to the top of the Olympic podium four years later and became a two-time gold medalist during the 2000 Summer Olympics. In total, she was a five-time U.S. National Team member and helped the organization win two World Championships (1995 & 1998), one Pan American Games Qualifier gold medal (1994), one U.S. Olympic Cup golf medal (1999) and two Olympic gold medals (1996 & 2000).

With her induction, Williams will join three-time U.S. Olympian Cat Osterman in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Williams was enshrined in The University of Texas' Women's Athletics Hall of Honor in November of 2007.

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