Officials with the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo brought a proposal to Bexar County to continue agricultural centered events after the 18-day event.
SAN ANTONIO — On Thursday, City Council gave the greenlight to let City Manager Erik Walsh move forward on a non-binding contract that could determine the future of a new Spurs arena downtown.
While negotiations continue, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo is already proposing what to do with the Frost Bank Center if the Spurs move.
“The Spurs have done a wonderful job of keeping the building in first shape,” said Pat Frost, president of the San Antonio Livestock Exposition. “We want to make sure it continues to be in a first class shape for our rodeo.”
They’ve brought a proposal to Bexar County to continue agricultural centered events after the 18-day rodeo.
“For the other seven months, primarily on weekends, we would have smaller competitions, where local enthusiasts bring in their horse and compete for prizes and different competitions with their horse,” Frost said. “Maybe in the show barns kids bringing in animals and doing some competitions on a lesser level. That’s really what we’re talking about.”
Frost also has ideas to hopefully make sure that the rodeo crowd is still excited.
“January and early February, big country music acts to get everybody warmed up for the rodeo. That’s one thing we’re thinking,” he said. “Then think about PBR, professional bull riding coming in, say, in the middle of the summer where it’s well away to make sure we don’t compete with our rodeo fans but yet bring them something to cheer on.”
Bexar County is considering the idea, Judge Peter Sakai mentioning it in a media briefing Tuesday.
“Obviously, we’re going to look at the rodeo as to how they can show the county which owns the property, that they can have a viable and sustainable business plan, that will go over year round,” Sakai said.
Frost believes the idea could help sustain the arena.
“Right now, we generate $12 million for the youth of Texas in our 18 day show,” he stated. “Now, we’re not going to be able to double that, because it’s not going to be the size of the events that we have during those 18 days. But we look to grow it.”
Bexar County could put a tax election on the ballot for November 2025. They would make that determination by the summer.