For the first time in nearly 80 years, the Texas Tech football stadium will no longer include the name of Jones.
Texas Tech Athletics announced Friday that the previously-named Jones AT&T Stadium will now be called Galaxy Stadium. Galaxy is a technological company that specializes in advanced data center infrastructure and digital assets.
The naming rights agreement with AT&T expired in June after a 20-year run. Texas Tech director of athletics Kirby Hocutt told the Avalanche-Journal in February that AT&T withdrew from consideration for a new agreement.
“We’re pleased to welcome Galaxy as the new naming rights partner of our football stadium,” Hocutt said in the news release. “When I visit with alumni across the country, the conversation almost always turns to their favorite memories inside our stadium. We look forward to creating many more of those moments together in Galaxy Stadium, one of the premier home-field environments in college football. This long-term partnership with Galaxy will have a lasting impact on Texas Tech Athletics.”
Texas Tech and Galaxy have entered into a 15-year agreement and also includes NIL opportunities for Red Raider athletes through brand activation campaigns and original content. Sports Business Journal reports the deal is worth $75 million, or $5 million per year.
The previous deal with AT&T called for the money upfront to Texas Tech, so the school and athletic department didn’t generate additional revenue from the naming rights after the initial payments. The deal with Galaxy will be paid out over the life of the deal.
Galaxy is currently building out an AI data center in Dickens County about 60 miles east of Lubbock. The company will also be “the official data center and digital assets partner of the athletics department.”
The university and athletic department will continue to honor Clifford B. Jones, the third president of Texas Tech University, in some capacity. What that looks like will be determined at a later date.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football stadium renamed to Galaxy Stadium in 15-year deal
Reporting by Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal | USA TODAY Network
