BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) -The City of Bryan approved a new rental agreement Tuesday with Ventura Sports Group to bring a Mid-America League Baseball franchise to Travis Major Field beginning in 2026. The move comes as the Brazos Valley Bombers prepare to leave the stadium after nearly two decades.
The three-year agreement includes an annual rental fee of $32,000 and revenue sharing from advertising, sponsorships, concessions and broadcast rights. It also includes a league exclusivity clause for independent baseball but does not restrict amateur or youth events.
Under the previous agreement with the Bombers’ parent company, Infinity Sports Entertainment, the City of Bryan covered the cost of rent and utilities for nearly two decades. Bryan city leaders say the new agreement provides more value to taxpayers while securing a long-term tenant at Midtown Park.
“For nearly two decades, the City of Bryan has proudly supported the Brazos Valley Bombers,” Mayor Bobby Gutierrez said. “We respect their decision to leave Bryan and wish them continued success in their new home in College Station.”
City staff will assume full management of Travis Major Field in January 2026, including scheduling and operations. Ventura Sports Group will be responsible for delivering a 32-game home schedule plus four practice dates each season. No public funds will be used for upgrades or improvements to the field under the agreement.
During Tuesday’s meeting, council members expressed frustration over how the Bombers’ departure was announced.
“We all got the wool pulled over our eyes when we heard the announcement they were moving to College Station,” Gutierrez said.
During public comment, some Bryan residents urged city leaders to slow down and reconsider the decision. Michael Phillips said he supports more baseball in the community, but raised concerns about the Mid-America League’s track record.
“I feel like we have rushed this decision,” Phillips said. “If we did a little more research, we would know that this league has a ton of issues behind them and some really unmet expectations.”
Diane Carmichael echoed those concerns, calling the process “reactionary.” She questioned whether the city had fully vetted Ventura Sports Group and said public resources should be focused on supporting existing projects and youth sports.
“I don’t think we should worry about getting the shiny new thing just because our neighbors do,” Carmichael said. “We should be focusing on the families here now.”
Other councilmembers emphasized the new deal was vetted thoroughly and in the city’s best interest.
“I think this agreement is much more fair and equitable to all of our taxpayers who all deserve to be able to use it and who, at the end of the day, were the ones subsidizing the deal with our former team,” Councilwoman Marca Ewers-Shurtleff said.
Deputy City Manager Joey Dunn said city staff conducted background checks on Ventura and received positive references from other cities with teams in the league.
“This was not a quick decision. We did our homework,” Dunn said. “I checked personally with city managers in two other Texas cities. They had nothing but glowing reports on Mr. Schuster, his company, and the leagues operating there.”
Ventura Sports Group CEO Mark Schuster also addressed the public scrutiny.
“If anybody has been in business for 40 years, I don’t care if you are in the sports business or selling hamburgers, you are going to have disputes,” Schuster said. “It is part of business. It is part of life.”
Schuster said the organization will launch a community-driven “Name the Team” contest in the coming weeks.
“We are all about inexpensive family entertainment,” Schuster said. “Our job is to give people an opportunity to escape for three hours, smile, and have fun, regardless of what the scoreboard says.”
Several councilmembers and city officials publicly criticized the Bombers’ ownership, accusing them of negotiating in bad faith and misleading the city about their future plans. Councilman Jared Salvato said city staff had held multiple meetings with the Bombers in an effort to craft a new deal, but were never provided formal financial documents.
“We received numbers on the back of a napkin,” Salvato said.
Council members said Bombers management warned of reputational consequences if their agreement was not renewed.
“We were ultimately posed with the threat that if we don’t continue the agreement that we’ve enjoyed for the last 18 years exactly how they wanted it, we could expect a PR nightmare,” said Marca-Ewers Shurtleff. Dunn confirmed the remark, adding that during a recent phone call, a Bombers representative told him, “This is war.”
Some councilmembers criticized recent local media coverage of the deal, suggesting it lacked balance.
“Sometimes a lot of our local media stories can seem extremely one-sided, and they don’t do the due diligence,” Salvato said during the discussion.
Schuster confirmed he had been contacted for comment and provided an interview, but declined to say whether he felt his statements were accurately included.
“I don’t read the media, so I have no idea,” he said.
The Bombers also responded to the public criticism following the meeting.
“Recently, my character and business practices were publicly criticized in a meeting I wasn’t present to attend or respond to. Some of the claims about how events unfolded were not only false, but deeply disappointing - especially coming from individuals I’ve worked alongside for years, who know the truth yet chose to protect their own interests instead,” Geva said.
Geva said the team remains committed to the Brazos Valley community.
“For nearly 20 years, I’ve invested in this community - not just through businesses, but through service. I’ve served on hospital boards, the Chamber of Commerce Executive Board, and remained committed to my faith and giving back. That’s who I am, he added.
Geva said the Bombers will continue offering affordable family entertainment and plan to play in College Station beginning in 2027.
“Alongside my business partner Chris, we’ve built a team rooted in integrity that has been proud to serve the City of Bryan and the entire Brazos Valley community. We’ve chosen the high road, even when others haven’t. That won’t change,” Geva said. “We remain committed to serving this community with honesty, respect, and affordable family entertainment. You don’t last nearly two decades without doing things the right way. We will continue doing that for our fans and community for the next twenty years.”
The new Bryan-based team will become the seventh franchise in the Mid-America League. Other teams are located in Abilene, Sherman and White Oak, Texas, Fort Smith, Arkansas, Joplin, Missouri and Texarkana.
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