After the Southwest Conference disbanded in 1995, TCU floated around in mid-tier athletic conferences like WAC, Conference USA and the Mountain West for 17 years. But in 2012, with a newly renovated football stadium and a Big 12 Conference invitation in hand, the Frogs were primed for primetime.

The upgrade isn’t lost on TCU Athletics, which has used the new exposure and larger conference paychecks to increase donor involvement. This fall, the newly-named Ed & Rae Schollmaier arena, the baseball complex and the sand volleyball courts are receiving major renovations.

With all of the upgrades, the football stadium – renovated just four years ago – is already starting to seem outdated, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Chris Del Conte said.

Del Conte added that TCU isn’t trying to “Keep up with the Joneses” anymore. Successful athletic programs, facility upgrades and inclusion in the Big 12 have helped TCU rise to the top tier of college athletics.

“We feel we are the Joneses, so if you are the Joneses you have to continue to invest,” Del Conte said.