THE RIDER FILE PHOTO
UTRGV Athletics announced in a Wednesday news release plans to expand the south end zone by approximately 1,500 seats, in an effort to increase overall capacity of the Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium before the 2026 football season.
Chasse Conque, senior vice president and director of Athletics, said the expansion comes as a result of the high support from fans during the inaugural season.
“The demand for tickets was high throughout the year,” Conque said. “We sold out all seven home games last season.”
According to the release, the student section will now be entirely located in the end zone, with an expected capacity of 3,250. Sections 120-122 are set to be used for both season and single-game tickets.
During the 2025 season, the student section was split between the south and southeast end zone, which Conque said influenced the decision to unify them the following year.
“What we found is that our students wanted to be in the south end zone together,” he said. “So, it made a lot of sense for [the expansion] so we can put them all together.”
THE RIDER FILE PHOTO
Conque added the unification has the ability to further improve the game-day atmosphere.
“That south end zone was always fun to watch,” he said. “You knew our students brought the energy every Saturday. … We want it to be intimidating.”
UTRGV will also hold a few hundred seats for single-game purchasers and standing-room-only tickets. The exact total of seats available will be announced after the updated single-game ticketing process is disclosed this summer.
“We’re really accomplishing a lot with this expansion,” Conque said. “Taking care of our students, increasing capacity, [and] being able to sell season tickets to those that have been on the waitlist.”
The increase in available seating will allow individuals on the season-ticket waitlist, some of whom have been on it for a year, to purchase new season tickets for 2026, according to the senior vice president.
He said the project is set to be completed and ready for kickoff by August.
Once completed, the stadium’s capacity is expected to be 13,498, up from 12,000 in 2025, according to the release.
Conque said the expansion reflects the program’s early success and signals its place within college football.
“In a time that [some] stadiums are being either built a little bit smaller or even capacity being reduced, here in the Rio Grande Valley … we’re expanding,” he said. “And so, it says a lot about our region, and … the spirit in our football program.”
