Aggie Tragedy

Mystery builds around falling death at Texas A&M stadium: Federal agency gets involved

The investigation continues at Texas A&M's University Kyle Field in the wake of a 25-year-old construction worker falling to his death Tuesday morning.

Though details are hazy, Angel Garcia was working on a spiral pedestrian ramp at the northeast side of the stadium, which is undergoing a massive $450 million renovation.

At 11:30 a.m., the Dallas-area resident fell from the fourth level of the concrete ramp and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died of his injuries.

Garcia's death comes nearly half a year after five workers were seriously injured during a collapse at A&M's new equine center.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) — along with university police and primary contractor Manhattan-Vaughan Construction — will continue an investigation that could last as long as six months, according to officials.

It remains unclear how the incident and OSHA analysis will affect the stadium's first phase of construction, which was scheduled to be complete by early September for A&M's first home football game against Lamar University next season. A live-feed of construction progress on the stadium's website has been disconnected since Tuesday.

Past troubles

According to the Bryan-College Station Eagle, Garcia's employer Lindamood Demolition has faced OSHA citations as recently as July, when the company failed to meet federal requirements for preparing a demolition site in Wichita Falls. Originally fined $4,200, Lindamood reached an settlement with the agency for $2,000.

Manhattan Construction — one half of the Kyle Field building team — also met the wrath of OSHA during its 2009 work on Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

There the company racked up $8,000 in fines for not enforcing employees to wear protective gear and for not protecting workers from falling through open areas like skylights. Manhattan, which built BBVA Compass stadium, eventually secured a $4,000 settlement.

Garcia's death comes nearly half a year after five workers were seriously injured during a roof collapse at A&M's new $80 million equine center. An OSHA investigation is pending on that accident as well.

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Cougar Red and Houston Blue

UH expands 'Houston Blue' uniforms, despite NFL cease-and-desist

UH continues using Houston Blue uniforms despite NFL rebuke

Photo courtesy of Houston Athletics

Luv ya Blue running wild.

University of Houston Athletics are in a “Luv ya blue” mood and they don’t care who knows it — not even the NFL.

The university has announced that its football and volleyball teams will wear new Houston Blue jerseys, reminiscent of the classic colors of the Houston Oilers era. The volleyball team's uniform will debut theirs starting November 9 against Texas Tech, while the football team will debut theirs against Baylor on November 23. At the latter event, the first 20,000 fans will receive commemorative Houston Blue rally towels.

The resemblance of the new colors to the Oilers brand was not lost on the NFL. When UH Athletics started incorporating Houston Blue into their uniforms in September 2023, the NFL sent a cease-and-desist letter claiming the uniforms were an attempt to leech off the legacy of the Oilers and the intellectual property of the team now known as the Tennessee Titans. As if to prove the point, the Titans have occasionally worn Columbia blue throwback uniforms at certain games.

UH is unbothered according to vice president for intercollegiate athletics Eddie Nuñez.

“As a university deeply connected to the fabric of Houston, incorporating ‘Houston Blue’ into our uniforms is a powerful way to celebrate the city’s rich history,” he said. “From iconic blue street markers to the Houston Police Department’s signature blue police cars and helicopters, this color holds a special place in the hearts of Houstonians. We’re thrilled to share this tradition with our fans and offer them the chance to show their pride through exclusive merchandise, making it an exciting time for Cougar Nation to rally together.”

The accompanying press release for the uniforms came with a helpful history lesson showing that the Oilers adopted a color widely associated with Houston, not the other way around. The city has incorporated blue into public infrastructure, from street curbs to city vehicles, since the 1920s. The Oilers weren’t even the first Houston team to use blue in their uniforms. That honor belongs to the minor league baseball team, the Houston Buffs. In addition, the university made minor changes to the uniform in response to the NFL's concerns.

UH will be offering a wide range of merchandise to sell in the new Houston Blue colors in person and online through the University of Houston Bookstore as well as at select local retailers. These include shirts, hats, polos, jerseys, and hoodies. Get them before the NFL sends a more strongly-worded letter.

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Fans of Houston sports and Houston food can now score tickets to The Tailgate, CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit. The event, presented by Verizon, goes down from 6-9 pm November 11 at 8th Wonder. Find out more about it here.

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