In 1985 a Texas A&M family donated $60,000 to Texas A&M to fund a scholarship. In exchange, the family was promised some of the best seats in Kyle Stadium for life. Perhaps Texas A&M meant the lifespan of those particular seats.
The family of Warren Moore is suing Texas A&M University for breach of contract and misrepresentation, claiming Texas A&M took away the lifetime seats and parking as a result of a reseating program coinciding with the renovations to the football stadium. The lawsuit was filed last week. The Moore family is not alone. According to The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas A&M has also asked state District Judge Mark Pittman to adjust eight reserved seats to allow for seat reassignment. According to the Moore family, Texas A&M was promised their seat assignments “would never change for their lifetimes” and the right to park in the “best available parking at home football games” at no additional charge was included.
This all changed when the Moores were provided a letter stating they would have to become members of the Prime West Legacy Club and pay a $15,000-per-seat capital campaign gift in order to retain their once promised for life seats. That does not include the annual $2,000 price for each seat over the next 15 years. I am no legal expert, but that is a raw deal if that is the case.
Texas A&M’s stadium renovations at Kyle Field are costing $450 million. Half of the money needed for the extensive renovation is being raised through seat licenses, a growing and popular trend in sports today that essentially means you pay for the right to buy tickets for your desired seats. How teams get away with this is simply amazing, but they do because those who do not pay the licenses risk losing their seats. Possibly forever. This is not just a Texas A&M thing either. It happens many places around the country in all sports.
Should the Moores have to pay extra for their seats, or is Texas A&M within their rights to change the stipulations as time and the school have evolved?