Very few NFL teams train and hold their business operations at their respective stadiums, including the Texans, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals and Carolina Panthers.

There have been multiple instances over the years when the Texans don’t have full access to their building because their schedule overlaps with the rodeo or concert events.

“There’s also very few stadiums that are used the way that we use our stadium and share it with the county and the rodeo,” said Hannah McNair, the Texans’ foundation vice president. “So, there’s not really much time to do everything we need to do in that building. And we actually have some people working off site, so not everyone is able to be in that building.”

As far as upgrading NRG Stadium, the Texans and the county have information reflecting the overall decline of the mixed-use facility and where it compares to newer stadiums across professional sports.

“So, the the county has done studies, but because it is the county’s, we are renters like you rent a house or apartment,” Cal McNair said. “And what has happened over time is it’s fallen behind on its maintenance. And so that’s what the studies that the county has done have shown.”

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans smiled when asked what he thinks about the training facility.

"Give me some grass, put the ball down, we‘ll practice wherever they want us to practice," Ryans said. “I’ll leave that up to the McNair’s and how they’ll handle that situation. But, hey, we just want to play football.

“It doesn’t matter to us. I know they’ll do a great job of leading the organization. They’ve done that for years. And they’ll continue to lead us and evolve and take us to where we need to go to the next steps.”

Talks are active with Harris County and the rodeo between the Texans with Tomon brought on board to lead the stadium efforts and other business goals.

“I mean, they’re ongoing,” Tomon said. “I’d say there’s progress in the fact that I’ve had an opportunity to speak with a number of different stakeholders, still some very important stakeholders to speak with, but, most importantly, out of the gates spending time with the partners really. So, between the rodeo and county, we’ve had some great conversations.”

Tomon, the replacement for former team president Greg Grissom, is a recognized leading stadium expert as the former co-president and chief operating officer of Legends, providing services in business planning, project management, sponsorships, premium ticket sales, merchandise, marketing and food and beverages.

The vision for the stadium effort is centered on improvement. Although NRG Stadium has gotten high marks for concessions and entertainment, there have been some complaints from fans about getting in and out of the stadium and other issues. There are lots of priorities, but the fan experience looms largest, Tomon emphasized.

“Right now, we’re having those conversations internally,” Tomon said. “Certainly, we are going through where can the capital be best spent? How can you bring to life the vision of having a world-class facility, a world-class experience that gives our fans the best and gives the team an advantage? When you’re doing something that large, that kind of has that wide of a mandate, you really have to drill down into all the different ways that capital can be spent wisely and get the most run out of it. That takes a lot of thoughtfulness, that takes lot of experts, as commission studies that we’ve gone about to kind of bring together.

“And, so we’ve been going through that process and trying to make sure we come out with the right end. We’re seven years out right now. While we know we’re at the right time to be having these conversations, we also know we have to move them forward as well. And so, right now, that’s kind of the push on making sure we have the rigor, making sure that we’ve been comprehensive, but making sure, at the same time, once we feel we get to that point, we can kind of move forward with a solution on those sides. So, more definition to come.”

Tomon will oversee the direction and management of all Texans’ business operations including marketing, communications, broadcasting, ticket sales and services, event services, corporate sponsorship, community relations, accounting, legal, human resources and general administration, as well as overseeing all aspects of Lone Star Sports & Entertainment.

Tomon has previously held senior roles with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Bobcats and Phoenix Suns, focusing on premium ticketing, partnerships and sales strategy.

Tomon was the leader for global business development for the company, identifying new opportunities for growth and innovation as he oversaw Legends’ marketing, creative and communication divisions.

Under his tenure, Legends vertical quadrupled in size.

Tomon has two decades of experience in sports and entertainment.

He was a senior vice president of global partnerships at AEG working in new business development and instituted global premium sales strategy. He accounted for over $500 million in deals at AEG prior to being hired by Legends in 2014.

Now, he’s responsible for the business operations of an NFL team, including its stadium and the training facility. The Texans will explore NRG Park as a potential site, too.

“I think that’s one of the great things,” Tomon said. “I think if you look at certainly NRG Park, we’re a significant acreage there. At the same point, you know, we’ve been fortunate enough to have been invited into a number of different conversations and opportunities all with the requisite amount of acreage that you’d want to focus in on a world class training facility and/or district.”

In 2015, Tomon was named a Sports Business Journal Forty Under Forty award winner.

He has served on the Sports and Entertainment Council for the United Way and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

A graduate of Georgetown University where he played football, Tomon lived in Dallas with his wife and two children before relocating to Houston to work for the Texans.

“One of the reasons that certainly I feel fortunate to be here is that the McNair’s have great aspirations for the team, for the city,” Tomon said. “A lot that we talk about is a world-class experience for our fans, and that comes down to everything that supports that.

“And so you think about the stadium, you think about the team, you think about the training facility. And, at this stage, I think, working through with our partners, we’re all striving for that. We know we have areas where we’re not world-class at this stage. And so that’s a focus. That’s a drive.“

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