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Grand opening caps $30 million in Fieldhouse upgrades

The news conference for the opening of the UTRGV Fieldhouse atrium wraps up with a ribbon cutting Wednesday on the Edinburg campus.
Draya Rios/THE RIDER

Years of construction and closures in and near the UTRGV Fieldhouse culminated in a grand opening Wednesday as the Athletics department officially unveiled the brand-new atrium and the Lew Hill Memorial Plaza.

Many student athletes, political figures, coaches, and key figures in the university and the Athletics department were in attendance.

It was the first look for the public and the media of the atrium and the plaza, both of which are a part of a $30 million-dollar project at the venue.

The atrium, which cost $14 million to build and began construction in late 2023, includes new seating, concessions, a team store and a dedicated Vaqueros Hall of Fame.

The official unveiling of a memorial plaque for the late Vaqueros head coach Lew Hill at the plaza in front of the new atrium was a moving scene, one which drew tears from members of the audience present at the event.

Hill was hired by the Vaqueros following the 2015-16 season, departing the University of Oklahoma where he helped lead the Sooners to a Final Four appearance that year.

He led the Vaqueros to three-straight postseason berths in three full seasons (2017-20) before his death on Feb. 7, 2021, a day after a game against Texas Southern University in Houston.

Chiefly among those in attendance was the late head coach’s wife, Renee Hill, and their two children, LJ and Elle, who still call the Rio Grande Valley home. Fighting tears during her remarks, Hill thanked the university and the audience, and said the process was years in the making.

“There were so many obstacles telling me, ‘Who am I to ask for something so big for my husband?’” Hill said. “Through my faith and constant prayer and God whispering in my ear and Lew in the other ear, ‘Keep pressing forward.’ Here we are, four years later, and I know he’s in heaven. Smiling [and] super excited.”

Chasse Conque, vice president and director of Athletics, unveiled the memorial plaque alongside the Hill family, and later cut the ribbon to the new atrium.

Conque said the day was not just to celebrate the opening of a state-of-the-art facility but to honor an “unbelievable man” who was “a great mentor to the young men that he coached.”

“He was a fearless competitor,” he said. “He loved the game, but it was much more than just basketball. [His loss] shook all of us. It shook, obviously, at the core with the family but, certainly, our community and our athletics department.”

Hall of Fame coach Lon Kruger, who coached the Broncs of legacy institution the University of Texas–Pan American from 1982-86, was also present. Hill was Kruger’s assistant for 12 seasons prior to his hire by UTRGV.

He said his “genius” was his ability to affect the lives around him on and off the court through his love of the game.

“Lew was about the preparation of these young men for life after basketball,” Kruger said. “He wanted them to be good husbands and good fathers and contributors to society.”

The Rider previously reported on the recent facility upgrades that are a part of a $180 million effort spanning 13 capital projects, since construction began at the Soccer and Track & Field Complex across the Edinburg campus.

Funding for these capital projects originates both from donations to Athletics as well as internal revenue from ticket sales, concessions and advertising.

Conque told reporters, after the unveiling, the next step for the new facilities is to put them to good use.

“We’ve invested this for our fans, certainly for our student athletes,” he said. “We’ve invested in this for our coaches, giving us a chance to compete against the best, recruit the best and win championships.”