A&M’s Kyle Field Needed Reinforcements From Shaking Too Much During “Sandstorm”

SteveHolt10 years ago

Texas A&M fans sitting in the newly added south end zone seats at Kyle Field felt more than pride and excitement during last year’s Thanksgiving contest against LSU — they felt the stadium shake.

Kyle Field wasn’t prepared for thousands of Aggies jumping up and down during “Sandstorm” by Darude, the official stadium song of basically every team in the country. Quick reminder of what song we are talking about here (Be warned, it will get stuck in your head):

From the Houston Chronicle:

The minor shifting occurred when the new stands were packed during A&M’s Thanksgiving game against LSU last season. A mesmerizing song played at a high volume ostensibly triggered the movement, but it wasn’t the “Aggie War Hymn.” Instead, the techno-­pop song “Sandstorm” was the perpetrator, officials claim.

“It’s very technical, but the particular frequency (of ‘Sandstorm’) was the issue,” said Craig Kaufman, project manager for the architectural firm Populous, which designed A&M’s rebuilt stadium.

In response, A&M reinforced the south end zone stands with additional steel, a process completed this week. The south seating area, which holds nearly 27,000, has been safe from the start, officials say.

“It’s a steel structure, so it is going to move a little bit,” said A&M system vice chancellor Phillip Ray, who is overseeing the $485-million stadium redevelopment. “We tested every single thing you could do.”

If I was a fan in another part of Kyle Field, would watching the south end zone collapse from getting too hype only get me more hyped? Would the intoxicating rhythm of “Sandstorm” make us all want to bring Kyle Field to its knees?

I’m a lifelong Texas fan, so I’ve never truly experienced a hyped home stadium — except for the West Virginia game three years ago. When we jump around during “Sandstorm,” the old rich alumni behind us will call stadium security to ask us to sit down.

As funny as it is to imagine a bunch of Aggies succumbing to “Sandstorm” like it was inciting a controlled demolition, Kyle Field was never in danger. A&M officials say that even without the reinforcements, the stadium was safe. It was more of a peace of mind addition for concerned patrons.

They could have just axed the song from the stadium playlist, but I guess that would have been too easy..

[via Houston Chronicle]

Image via YouTube