UT-Rio Grande Valley adds new weight room for new football program

November 19, 2025 / Athletic Administration • Facilities

UT-Rio Grande Valley football’s brand-new Vaqueros Performance Center is giving the university’s first-ever NCAA Division I FCS football team a training space worthy of a flagship program. At nearly 10,000 square feet — triple the size of the temporary room the team used last year — the Matrix-equipped facility represents a dramatic upgrade in both scale and sophistication.

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“This is probably the 10th weight room I’ve helped design, and it was fun because nothing had ever been done here before,” said Don Sommer, UT-Rio Grande Valley head football strength and conditioning coach. “It’s one of the best at the FCS level.”

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The centerpiece is a line of 10 double-sided racks providing 20 platforms, flanked by two four-station cable units, 46,000 pounds of iron plates, and dumbbells ranging from 5 to 125 pounds. Each rack is stocked with seven specialty bars — from Texas power bars to transformer and trap bars — so athletes never need to share during complex lifts. With 20-foot ceilings and no interior columns, the open “box” design creates a spacious training environment where even 6’7″ players can perform pull-ups without their feet touching the floor.

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Just steps from the locker room and practice fields, the facility integrates seamlessly into the team’s daily flow. “We went from training in a basement with a swinging light and rusty weights to walking right out the door to the turf,” Sommer joked. “It’s a one-stop shop that shows recruits we’re serious about building something special.”