When the Houston Texans made a change at the position of Team President earlier this year, replacing Greg Grissom with Mike Tomon, it was a mild surprise, given that the Texans, despite an up and down recent history on the field, have always been a well run business. However, take one glance at Tomon's background, and it's quite evident that the team felt they needed a "stadium expert" in that position moving forward.
Tomon comes to Houston off of a decade working as a high level executive for a company called Legends, which operates numerous facets of marketing, game day operations, and stadium management for a variety of professional teams and venues. He's been involved with some of the most high profile new stadium constructions, including SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the goal standard of recent stadium builds.
I know it seems like just yesterday that the city went through its stadium renaissance, with the construction of then Enron Field, Toyota Center and then NRG Stadium within just a few years of each other, but we are nearly three decades removed from those projects, and what makes a stadium elite or "state of the art" now is very different than what did back then.
In short, there are decisions to be made, big ones, about the future of NRG Stadium, which is in need of well over a billion dollars of repair and renovation. Add in the rodeo as a partner in whatever stadium the Texans are in, and it gets complicated.
To that end, Texans owner Cal McNair, perhaps hearing the rumblings on the future of his team's home, and certainly hearing the incorrect reports of the team possibly looking to relocate, sent out a letter via email to media and fans to update the situation:
H-Town,
The 2025 Season is on the horizon, and I can’t wait for our team to take the field in pursuit of our ultimate goal under DeMeco Ryans and Nick Caserio. We’re proud of our back-to-back AFC South Championships, but we are eager to take the next step.
Nick and DeMeco make a great team, and they are aligned on how to build a winner. Through free agency, trades and the draft, they will continue to work together to add players who have a special work ethic and relentless mindset. They are focused on taking our team to new heights, and I’m confident the roster building process this spring and the continued development of our young core players will help us get there. We also recently introduced our new offensive coordinator, Nick Caley, and we’re excited to see all these pieces come together in 2025.
As you know, this team means so much to me and my family, and it’s held a special place in our hearts since my dad brought the NFL back to Houston over 25 years ago. For us, this is far more than just a business, it is our true passion. We understand the unifying force of this club in our community and, of course, for the fans, so we are always listening and looking for ways to improve in every aspect. My parents made giving back to Houston a core value for our organization, and I promised to uphold that commitment when they selected me to take over the team. I hope I am making them proud and will continue to do everything I can for our city and our fans.
Off the field, there have been several articles written in recent weeks about the future of NRG Stadium. Although we are seven years away from the expiration of our lease, I want you to know that we are working collaboratively and diligently with our partners – the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Harris County and HCSCC – to identify the best path forward. With those partners, we have conducted a number of studies and continue to learn more about what we need to be successful in the future under the leadership of our new team president, Mike Tomon, who has an extensive history of developing and renovating stadiums.
We support a renovation of NRG Stadium and are committed to exploring all potential solutions to ensure long-term success. We want to ensure we have a world-class facility that provides a competitive advantage for our team and a great experience for our fans, while standing tall as a community asset. Ultimately with our valued partners, our goal is to find a solution that works for all stakeholders involved, where everyone feels like a winner.
Thank you for your continued support of our team as we embark on the 2025 Season together.
Go Texans!
D. Cal McNair
Houston Texans
Chair and CEO
The future of NRG Stadium is probably a couple years away from being a major issue. As McNair points out, the lease isn't up for another seven years. However, when you look at the elements of new stadiums today that maximize the fan experience, it's highly questionable as to whether (a) NRG Stadium could accommodate such changes (field level suites, wider concourse areas, easier stadium entry), and (b) if there is a logical time on the calendar to execute those changes.
For purposes of making major stadium upgrades, NRG Stadium is in use virtually year round. There are a few lulls in the schedule, but football runs from August to January, and the rodeo uses the area from February to nearly April. If a new stadium is the solution, then the staring contest between the county, the rodeo, the Texans, and taxpayers is going to be fascinating.
One solution to make this all go much easier, with far less vitriol as to who picks up the tab — win a Super Bowl, Cal.
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