Negotiations continue amid Tecos stadium dispute
LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - The Tecos are taking to the field Thursday, June 20, for a doubleheader, even after their general manager received an eviction notice demanding they vacate Uni-Trade Stadium by the end of the day.
“Yes, we’re still here. We’re still here!” exclaimed Tecos General Manager Cuitlahuac Rodriguez.
This high-stakes game isn’t just unfolding on the baseball diamond. Instead, it’s being fought through intense legal negotiations.
“All day yesterday, we were back and forth with negotiations,” Rodriguez said. “We did get a counteroffer from the management company at the end of the day. We reviewed it and sent certain comments back, and we are hoping to hear from them.”
The conflict pits the Tecos against ASM Global, the company hired by the city to manage Uni-Trade Stadium. The dispute centers on the terms of the contract to complete the rest of the season. As a result, ASM issued the Tecos an eviction notice, demanding they leave the stadium and return their keys by June 20.
The trouble began with an eviction letter dated June 12, which stated that they were being evicted because the Tecos had not signed the 2024 contract to play at the stadium.
“What’s important to note here is that we, the Tecos, are responsible for 100% of all our operational costs,” Rodriguez said. “We rely on ticket sales and everything else to cover those costs and have a successful team. For that main reason, Tecos don’t agree with ASM’s contract.”
Rodriguez emphasized that the original contract terms would put the team out of business due to excessive fees demanded by ASM and unclear language.
“We believe that ASM is estimating a lot of our revenue,” Rodriguez said. “And based on that, they are asking us for a percentage of that. There are other points in there with facility fees and percentages and stuff that would not only hurt us as a team to operate successfully but they would hurt our fans also.”
Laredo Mayor Dr. Victor Trevino pointed out that the issue lies with the management company, not the city.
“This is business as usual for management companies. They don’t see the other side; they don’t see the big picture. They have no ties to any cultural relationship other than business,” Trevino said.
Nevertheless, Dr. Trevino stressed the value of the Tecos baseball team to the city and community.
“We pray that these negotiations will go in the right direction because we need the quality of life. We need the Tecos here in Laredo,” Trevino added.
With 10 home games remaining at Uni-Trade Stadium, the Tecos remain steadfast in their desire to continue playing there.
“We want to get this fixed. We want to stay here for as long as we can, and we are hoping to come to an agreement,” Rodriguez said.
KGNS reached out to ASM Global for comment. A spokesperson for the company said they could not comment on the contract while negotiations are ongoing.
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