Ross Bjork gives tour of Texas A&M's facility improvements

Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork gave a tour of the Aggies’ new facility improvements. That included the new indoor track, the Coolidge Football Performance Center and teh Bright Slocum Center renovations.

The Centennial Campaign, as dubbed by the university, will be completed over the course of the next year. Most importantly from a time perspective is the football facility, which is expected to be done by August 1, just in time for training camp.

You can see the tour below.

In May, Bjork gave an update on the facility construction.

“The indoor performance center, that’ll be done by the 1st of August in time for training camp” Bjork said. “The Slocum-Bright Football complex, this year we’re only renovating the second floor. We moved out nutrition, we moved out academics. The second floor is going to be all of our individual breakout rooms for positions–quarterback, offensive line, all the different position rooms. 

“We’ll have an individual team meeting room for offense and another team meeting room for defense, and then we’ll have a walk-through room for offense and defense that’ll attach to all of those breakout rooms. That has to be done by the 1st of August. We report on August 1st and start practice on August 2nd.”

The new football practice facility will feature a 160-yard field, have an elevated observation area, a dedicated space for sports medicine and strength and conditioning, direct access to the Bright Football Complex and Coolidge Outdoor Practice Fields and an outdoor plaza facing Kyle Field.

Spotlight on Jimbo Fisher for 2023 season

Nice new facilities aside, there’s a lot of pressure on head coach Jimbo Fisher to deliver a highly successful season.

On3’s own JD Pickell discussed the college football teams that will make headlines in 2023. After going 5-7 last season despite amassing significant talent, Texas A&M undoubtedly made Pickell’s list.

“Let me put it like this, I’m going to throw three teams at you: Tulsa, Vanderbilt, Arizona. All three of those teams also went 5-7 in 2022,” Pickell said. “Why isn’t that a known thing, whereas everybody and their mama knew A&M went 5-7?”

Pickell proceeded to answer his own question rather quickly, stating the talent and brand of those teams are nothing compared to A&M. He’s correct. The Aggies had seven five-star recruits in 2022, more than any team has ever signed in one class.