Texas A&M Rec Sports Celebrates Opening Of Southside Rec Center

Texas A&M University Rec Sports today opened its Southside Recreation Center with a grand opening celebration. The event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, tours and prizes, as well as speakers including Student Body President Case Harris ’23, Vice President for Student Affairs Brig. Gen. Joe E. Ramirez Jr. ’79 and Rec Sports Director Rick Hall welcoming the campus community to the latest in a growing family of recreational facilities on campus.

The Southside facility is near the intersection of Bizzell Street and Mosher Lane, across from the Commons Residence Halls and in close proximity to the Corps of Cadets Residence Halls and the A&M golf course. It features 63,500 square feet of indoor recreational space and an additional 15,000 square feet outdoors.

“Texas A&M Rec Sports is excited to provide students, faculty and staff more options to recreate through our numerous facilities, programs and services,” said Hall. “With the Southside Rec Center, the Student Rec Center and the Polo Road Rec Center located throughout campus, Rec Sports members and guests now have access to a facility within a 5-10-minute walk.”

The new facility provides a variety of custom equipment in the strength and conditioning space, two multi-sport courts and a fitness studio/multipurpose room. Additionally, there’s a bouldering wall complete with a new line of climbing holds and bouldering routes of various difficulties. The outdoor space has two sand volleyball courts, a turf area with workout equipment, and lawn space for leisure and activities.

University officials announced the project in fall 2020, citing the need for additional recreational facilities to accommodate A&M’s growing enrollment, as well as to have facilities located on the main campus.

The original Rec Center opened in 1995 on west campus and is the largest at more than 400,000 square feet; it averages 8,000 visits per day. The Polo Road Rec Center opened in January 2021 near the Emerging Technologies Building. It is connected to a parking garage and food court, and averages 3,750 visits each day. Additional Rec Sports facilities include Penberthy Complex, with an average of around 5,000 visits per week, and the Physical Education Activity Program (PEAP) building, which averages 2,100 visits per week.

The Southside Rec Center was designed by SmithGroup.

Hall said Rec Sports is proud not only of its facilities, but also the development opportunities made available to students in the form of employment and leadership.

“Each year, Rec Sports employs 1,000+ Aggies, putting in excess of $3.7 million dollars back into the pockets of students who must fund their educational experience,” he said. “Student employees have the opportunity to serve on the student employee advisory council for student leaders and apply for professional development grants and scholarships.”

Officials estimate Southside Rec Center attendance will average between 5,000-6,000 visits per day.

The new Southside Recreation Center is funded in part by the Abe and Annie Seibel Foundation. To inquire about naming opportunities in the facility, contact Reagan Chessher ’96, senior director of development, at givetostudentaffairs@txamfoundation.com or call 979-458-1689.