Eagle Rising
HOMETOWN PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
If you have not been paying close attention to what is happening out on University Avenue, now is the time to look up. Texas A&M University-Texarkana is in the midst of one of the most remarkable growth stories in the region's history, and the momentum shows no signs of slowing down.
Under the leadership of President Dr. Ross Alexander, A&M-Texarkana has set its sights firmly on becoming the first-choice university for learners throughout their careers and lifetimes, and the campus is being built to match that vision.
Walk the grounds today, and you will find a university in the middle of a physical transformation. The first two phases of a brand-new student housing community are already complete and filled with students, and three additional phases are planned through 2028, which will eventually add some 700 new beds to campus. Several smaller, restaurant-style dining concepts are planned to serve that growing residential population — think along the lines of what Crave has brought to the area. Construction is also well underway on the new James C. Morriss Business, Engineering, and Technology Building, a 50,000-square-foot facility slated for completion this year.
Inside that building will be the RRCU Center for Financial Literacy, made possible through a naming partnership with Red River Credit Union. The center is designed to be a community resource as much as a campus one, offering workshops, outreach programs, and one-on-one sessions on budgeting, debt reduction, credit management, and financial planning. "Our partnership with Red River Credit Union allows us to provide more than just education," said Jay Davis, TAMUT's Executive Director of Financial and Entrepreneurship Engagement. "We're providing real-world tools and access to resources that directly empower our community."
Perhaps nothing signals A&M-Texarkana's ambitions quite like the announcement that made the whole region take notice: the Eagles are getting a football team. Play is set to begin with the 2027 season, and the university has already secured its future home — RRCU Stadium, planned for construction along University Avenue with seating for approximately 6,000, artificial turf, VIP suites, and a bowl-shaped design built for the fan experience. The stadium is expected to open in 2029.
Football is not the only new sport on the way. The university has also added bowling, golf, and women's flag football, continuing a pattern of steady athletic growth that began with women's soccer and tennis back in 2014. Equally significant is the leap in the level of competition. A&M-Texarkana has announced its transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II and has secured an invitation to compete in the Lone Star Conference — one of the premier conferences at that level. Athletic Director Ryan Wall called the move "a transformational moment" for the university, one that raises the visibility of the entire institution and opens new doors for student-athletes across every sport.
Growth at A&M-Texarkana is not just about buildings and athletics. The university has made a deliberate and strategic commitment to align its academic programs with the real workforce needs of local employers, and that work is paying off. New degree programs in Computer Engineering and Civil Engineering launched in Fall 2025, developed directly in response to conversations with regional industry leaders. Certificate programs in Pulp and Paper Technology and CAD (computer-aided design) were added for the same reason. A fully online Bachelor of Business Administration degree is now available for working adults who need flexibility without sacrificing the value of an A&M degree.
A&M-Texarkana's academic offerings now span 26 undergraduate majors and 24 master's degree programs — along with two doctoral programs — across the Anita and Truman Arnold College of Business, the College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services, and the College of Engineering and Computing. The university has also made it a priority to keep that degree affordable; its stated goal is to help students graduate with little to no student debt.
"Our academic offerings must align with the workforce needs of our community, region, and beyond," Dr. Alexander has said. "We want our students to be day-one ready to take high-paying jobs after graduation, and we want those jobs to be here."
A&M-Texarkana's commitment to education extends well beyond its own campus. The university recently joined the LevelUp Texas Initiative as part of an expansion of the Texas Rural Education Collaborative (TREC), a statewide program focused on helping students in kindergarten through eighth grade begin exploring college and career pathways early. Through hands-on learning and family engagement, the program aims to build a sense of possibility in students long before they ever set foot in a high school — a mission that aligns naturally with A&M-Texarkana's deep roots in this community.
Dr. Alexander has described A&M-Texarkana as one of the fastest-growing universities in the nation, and the numbers bear that out. New housing. New buildings. New academic programs. A new football team. A move to NCAA Division II. A statewide initiative reaching the region's youngest learners. It is, by any measure, a remarkable season for this university, and for Texarkana.
"We think big, we dream big, and we do big," Dr. Alexander said. "We are firmly established as among the fastest-growing universities in the nation. This is just another example of our momentum."
Texarkana has long known what A&M-Texarkana means to this community. The rest of the state is starting to find out.
Texas A&M University-Texarkana
7101 University Avenue
Texarkana, Texas 75503
903-223-3000
tamut.edu
