Creative idea may net indoor tennis facility

COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M tennis standout Carson Branstine has time and again proven to be an ultimate team player for the seventhranked Aggies, the reigning Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament champions, and that unselfish approach now includes future A&M teams.

Branstine, a senior, has used her voice to make a pitch for a building that she will never benefit from as a college athlete but one current pint-sized tennis players who consider her a role model will perhaps one day seek safety in from hazardous weather — while still being able to swing their rackets.

Branstine this winter posted to social media, in part: “We’re the only SEC team lacking indoor tennis. It would take the team to another level, and give us credit for our recent success.”

The good news for the Aggies is help appears to be on the way, courtesy of an innovative idea to avoid another massive complex on the west side of the A&M campus that would sit empty much of the time and require plenty of university upkeep and a boatload of air-conditioning.

Enter the city of Bryan’s plush new Midtown Park about a mile north of Texas A&M, on the site of what a bunch of “old” Aggies will recall as Bryan’s well-worn municipal golf course. For those unfamiliar with the geography, College Station and Bryan blend together to form a metropolitan area of nearly a quarter million people, according to the 2020 census.

A&M’s College Station campus, too, had an enrollment of more than 68,000 students as of fall 2022. Meantime Midtown Park, still under development but already home to BigShots Golf, the expansive Legends Events Center and multiple baseball diamonds at the renovated Travis Fields, is certain to become a go-to outdoor (and indoor) destination for Aggies, only a short jaunt up Wellborn Road from A&M.

“We’ve been working with the city of Bryan since early 2021, going on almost two years and (concerning) the Midtown Park development, and we were looking for an off-campus partnership with an indoor complex, knowing our needs are not year-round with an indoor complex,” A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said. “You don’t really want to build a complex and just have it sit there for nine or 10 months out of the year.

“Having a city partnership we thought was a great approach.”

Keep in mind this is still in the development stages with, as Bjork said, “a few more steps to take,” and a big stride along the way was A&M’s board of regents this winter authorizing the university to negotiate with Bryan on a polished product — and not just a concept.

The idea, of course, is area residents would be able to use the indoor courts year-round, and A&M athletes would use them when needed.

“We’re working on the final stages of what the building could look like,” Bjork said. “Once that scope is determined, we would go back to the city council of Bryan and hopefully they support it … I think we have great momentum, and the new mayor, Bobby Gutierrez, has been very supportive. We think we have a great concept here, we just have to take a few more steps before everything would be finalized.

“We know we have to have six courts that are rated for NCAA play, with the right kind of lighting and seating and those kinds of things. (Total) cost estimates have not been finalized.”

While Bjork, who first worked with then-Bryan mayor Andrew Nelson on the venture, emphasizes the entire project is in its early stages, he’s also excited about the possibilities of A&M tennis having access to a nice indoor setting. The closest thing the Aggies have had over the past few decades is a low roof over some courts at a Bryan city park across Highway 6 and about six miles away.

“For us, (Midtown Park) is a mile down the road, and if there’s a day where we’re hosting an outdoors match and there’s (inclement) weather on the way, we can easily pivot and go right down the road,” Bjork said. “It’s convenient for the athletes of course, but also fans who want to support our tennis team.

“Those are the kinds of things that have been fun about this process — mapping all of that out and realizing just how close Midtown Park is to campus.”

And while the indoor complex plan with the city of Bryan already was in full swing prior to Branstine cleverly calling attention to the matter via social media, Bjork always appreciates A&M athletes being willing to stand up for causes bigger than their individual results.

“Carson represents the university and the program so well,” Bjork said. “She’s a great player on a great team that is on a great run. We talk to studentathletes about their ability to use their platform — whether through social media or a press conference or whatever it might be — we encourage that and we want athletes to be able to express themselves and utilize their full potential.

“That was neat to see from that perspective.”