DATCU Stadium
DATCU Stadium is a college football stadium located at the north junction of Interstate 35E and Interstate 35W in Denton, Texas, United States. Opened in 2011, it is home to the University of North Texas Mean Green football team, which competes in the American Athletic Conference. The facility replaced Fouts Field, where the school's football program had been based since 1952.
The stadium was proposed by the Board of Regents of the University of North Texas System after the 2002 New Orleans Bowl. Designed by HKS, Inc., it was constructed at a cost of $78 million after a student body election in 2008. It was tentatively named "Mean Green Stadium" prior to ResNet provider Apogee purchasing the naming rights in 2011. DATCU Credit Union subsequently purchased naming rights to the facility prior to the 2023 season. The stadium hosted its first major event on September 10, 2011, when the Mean Green lost 48–23 against the University of Houston Cougars. Official home attendance figures for the team's first six seasons at DATCU Stadium averaged 18,737 per game, which was 60.7% of its initial capacity of 30,850 until seating was reduced in 2024 to the current capacity of 30,100.
The facility includes various amenities, including a press box, luxury boxes, and an alumni pavilion. It also uses environmental technology: it is the first newly built stadium to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum certification. It can be reached by road, but because of limited parking and traffic congestion on game days, many attendees park on the northeast side of Interstate 35E and cross a pedestrian bridge to reach the stadium. Others use public transportation to reach the facility on game days.
History
Early planning and finance
In September 2002, the University of North Texas purchased on the opposite side of Interstate 35E from the main campus in Denton from Liberty Christian School for $5.1 million. The university also owned an adjacent golf course. Following the football team's victory at the 2002 New Orleans Bowl, school administrators announced their intent to build an assortment of new athletic facilities on the properties, now called the Mean Green Village. These plans included a new football stadium to replace Fouts Field, where the school's football team had been based since 1952. Richard Raefs, vice chancellor of administrative affairs at UNT, stated that the project's primary objective was the consolidation of academic facilities and that renovating Fouts Field would cost $8 million more than building an entirely new stadium.The Board of Regents of the University of North Texas System released a long-term campus master plan in 2005 that included a proposed new stadium with a capacity of 35,000 and an estimated cost "in excess of $35 million". UNT athletic director Rick Villareal stated that the university would use only private fundraising, rather than another increase in students' fees, to pay for any new facilities, including a stadium. He projected that the new stadium would cost $40 million and seat 50,000 spectators. The athletic department changed that capacity estimate in 2007 to 32,000 with the possibility of later expansion to 50,000.
Athletics fee referendum
In 2008, the athletic department tried again to increase the athletics fee to pay for the new stadium, which now had an estimated cost of $60 million. UNT Student Government Association student senators voted to hold a student election on the referendum to approve the new fee, which amounted to a net increase of $7 per credit hour for each student, or approximately $840 per student over the course of four years. According to state law, students cannot pay for more than half the cost of a stadium.The athletic department made a concerted effort to promote the higher fee to students, and supporters suggested hiring street preachers or troubadours to promote the election. Making the case for the fee prior to the election, athletic director Rick Villareal said that the stadium was "not some arms race for us" and that the fee's objective was not just to keep up with other universities.
The referendum was held between October 13–17, 2008. Students voted for or against the proposal:
In order for the University of North Texas to have a better Athletic program, which in turn can lead to national exposure and increased recognition of UNT; I agree to a dedicated Athletic Fee not to exceed $10 per semester credit hour, capped at 15 hours. Once the Athletic Fee is implemented, the Student Service Fee will be reduced by $3 per semester credit hour. The Athletic Fee shall not be implemented until the semester the new football stadium is complete, which is expected to be fall 2011.
On October 21, 2008, the UNT SGA announced that in one of the largest turnouts in the school's history, student voters approved a dedicated athletic fee to fund the new stadium. Almost 14% of the student body voted, with 2,829 students voting for the increase and 2,038 voting against it. After the election, the cost estimate for the stadium's construction increased by $18 million to $78 million, $38 million more than the 2005 estimate. At a press conference with head football coach Todd Dodge, Villarreal stated that "there's an arms race going on with facilities. This one will put us up there with everybody else." In February 2009, the school's chapter of Students for a Democratic Society unsuccessfully attempted to petition for a re-vote on the referendum.
Following the election, Representative Myra Crownover and Senator Craig Estes submitted companion bills during the eighty-first Texas Legislature to approve the fee increase. According to the report submitted by Crownover to the state's Higher Education Committee, the fee would not begin until construction of the new stadium was complete. As a result of the fee, the athletics department would collect approximately $8.7 million from students in 2012, of which $3.9 million would be put towards payment of the new stadium. Estes' bill was approved by the Texas House and Senate, and was signed into law by Governor Rick Perry on May 23, 2009. Prior to the groundbreaking ceremony on November 21, 2009, President of UNT Gretchen Bataille said that of the approximately $78 million needed to pay for the new stadium, the department had raised $5 million. In 2015, the eighty-fourth Texas Legislature passed a bill allowing the Board of Regents to raise the fee by up to 10% each year beyond the original limit of $10. In September 2015, the Board of Regents approved an increase in the fee, raising it to $11 per credit hour.
Construction and naming rights
In February 2008, the school selected HKS, Inc. to provide architectural and design services for the proposed new stadium. The university hired Manhattan Construction Company in 2009 to provide pre-construction and construction services. After leveling the area, Manhattan installed a steel-reinforced concrete skeleton for the stands. Subsequently, the firm flattened the playing field area and installed artificial turf. In later phases, glass and brick were added to the facility's luxury suites. Construction officially finished on July 20, 2011.On August 11, 2011, UNT announced a deal with Austin-based ResNet provider Apogee for the naming rights to the new stadium, and the name was changed to "Apogee Stadium". According to the contract, Apogee will pay $11.8 million of the $20 million deal in cash over 20 years, including graduated annual payments beginning at $312,000 and ending in three payments of $1 million. The remaining $8.29 million will be in the form of in-kind services. As part of the contract, Apogee also received one luxury suite in the new stadium and premium tickets to other UNT events. Apogee chose to end its agreement in 2023. On July 31, a new naming rights agreement was made with DATCU credit union.