Long before women’s sports commanded today’s audiences, Red and Charline McCombs believed female athletes deserved the opportunity and facilities to compete at the highest level.
In 1997, Red and Charline made a $3 million gift to The University of Texas at Austin to help build a new home for Texas Softball. At the time, it was the largest gift ever made to a women’s athletics program at the University — and helped create one of the nation’s premier collegiate softball facilities.
Red & Charline McCombs Field opened in 1998, giving Texas Softball a first-class stadium and a foundation upon which to build its program. Over the years, the facility has continued to evolve, including the addition of a major player development center with indoor batting cages, pitching facilities, locker rooms, training areas and other amenities.
Nearly three decades after that original gift, the McCombs family is once again investing in the future of Texas Softball.
In 2026, the McCombs Foundation pledged $10 million toward a new renovation of Red & Charline McCombs Field, providing a matching gift designed to inspire others to join the effort. The planned improvements will help transform the stadium to meet the extraordinary growth of both the program and its fan base. Texas Athletics has said it is in the design phase and is seeking an additional $10 million in matching support.
The timing is particularly meaningful. Texas Softball has reached new heights, winning back-to-back national championships in 2025 and 2026.
For the McCombs family, the new commitment continues something Red and Charline began almost 30 years ago: investing in people and giving them the resources to succeed.
From helping give Texas Softball its first-class home to helping prepare that home for its next generation of champions, the McCombs legacy at The University of Texas continues to grow.