Football Stadium Renamed Jones SBC Stadium
June 15, 2000 | Football
June 15, 2000
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech University announced today that the campus' 53-year-old football stadium, which is located on the site where Texas Tech football was originally played 75 years ago, will be renamed Jones SBC Stadium in recognition of a $20 million lead gift last November from San Antonio-based SBC Communications Inc., parent company of Southwestern Bell.
SBC's gift enabled Stage One renovation to begin following the 1999 football season, including concession and restroom improvements, handicapped seating updates and widening the east concourse.
"Texas Tech and the entire Lubbock community are grateful to SBC Communications for making a first-class, state-of-the-art facility possible here in West Texas,'' said Texas Tech University System Chancellor John T. Montford. "We also are pleased that we have a workable stadium name that allows us to honor SBC while maintaining the stadium's historic tie with the Clifford B. Jones family.''
"SBC and Southwestern Bell have a long association with Texas Tech and West Texas,'' said Edward E. Whitacre Jr., chairman and CEO of SBC Communications. "We are grateful for the university's commitment to high-quality education and are honored to be recognized in the stadium name. It is our hope that a renovated Jones SBC Stadium will help provide long-term benefits in terms of academic funding, student recruitment and economic development for the community.''
Additional stadium renovation plans include constructing a new press box, adding club seating and club area in the press box, improving the south end zone building and athletic offices and constructing luxury boxes on the west side of the stadium. When completed, stadium capacity will be expanded from 50,000 to 60,000. In addition, the stadium exterior will be renovated to conform to the Texas Tech traditional Spanish Renaissance architecture. The university is seeking funding sources for these renovations.
Texas Tech University Board of Regents has approved a budget of $75 million for the entire stadium renovation project.