Gail Delaughter/Houston Public Media
The Houston Texans are reportedly exploring a new stadium as their current home at NRG Stadium needs repairs.
According to the Houston Chronicle, two anonymous sources “familiar with the Texans’ thinking” said the team has explored possibly building a new stadium but has not yet made a decision.
Houston Public Media reached out to the NFL franchise regarding its potential interest in a new stadium and received the same statement sent to the Chronicle.
“Our priority has always been to support a renovation of NRG Stadium and that’s where our focus remains,” Texans spokesperson Omar Majzoub said. “As we’ve said before, we are committed to exploring all potential solutions to ensure long-term success and we look forward to working with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Harris County and HCSCC (Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation) in identifying the best path forward.”
In a similar statement, the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority said it would work with its partners to do what was best for the region.
“The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority values our longstanding relationships with the Sports Corporation, the Texans, the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, and the entire NRG Park Complex,” a spokesperson wrote. “As discussions about the future of these facilities continue, we remain committed to collaborating with all our partners to achieve the best outcomes for the Houston-Harris County region.”
Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who represents the area where NRG Stadium is located, said in a statement he is optimistic about the future of NRG. The stadium and surrounding NRG Park are owned by the county and leased to the Texans and rodeo.
“We have a process in place to realistically review all options and it is going well,” Ellis said. “Historically, Harris County leaders and taxpayers stepped up to lead on providing world-class facilities when other governmental entities benefited disproportionately from the incoming tax revenues. I am hopeful that we can look to other governmental entities to step up going forward. … In short, all options are on the table, but the billion-dollar question is, who will pay?”
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding whether a new stadium was under consideration.
NRG Stadium, the Texans’ home since their inception, was completed in 2002 and cost $352 million — approximately $615 million in today’s money, according to the Federal Reserve’s inflation calculator. It was also the first NFL stadium to have a retractable roof. The stadium and surrounding facilities are also used by the rodeo and for other sporting and entertainment events.
After hosting Super Bowl LI in 2017, the stadium underwent its most recent major upgrades to its clubs and suites.
In December, the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation released a facility condition assessment for NRG Park that reportedly found the facilities need $2 billion worth of repairs, including $116 million for the roof alone. The stadium’s roof had been damaged during Hurricane Beryl in July and repairs were not complete until September.
The condition assessment came just a few months after the Harris County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to have the sports and convention corporation come up with two plans for the complex’s future, which already had $500 million in deferred maintenance at the time.
Renovations at NRG are already planned to prepare the stadium for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.