College Football NCAA

Texas Tech Scores $75 Million Stadium Naming Deal, Drops Jones Name After 80 Years

Share:
Texas Tech Scores $75 Million Stadium Naming Deal, Drops Jones Name After 80 Years

Texas Tech football is getting a new name on the stadium, and it’s a big one. The Red Raiders announced Friday that their home field will become Galaxy Stadium starting with the 2026 season, ending a nearly 80-year run under the Jones family name. The deal with Galaxy, a company that builds data center infrastructure and handles digital assets, is reportedly worth $75 million over 15 years. That shakes out to about $5 million annually.

This isn’t just a sign swap. The partnership includes NIL opportunities for Texas Tech athletes through brand activations, original content, and other revenue streams. Galaxy also becomes the athletics department’s official data center and digital assets partner. The university framed the deal as part of Galaxy’s deepening investment in West Texas. The company already runs its Helios AI and high-performance computing campus on 1,500 acres in Dickens County, roughly 60 miles east of Lubbock. The Red Raiders also pushed the potential for graduates to land jobs with Galaxy after college.

The timing lines up with the expiration of Texas Tech’s 20-year naming deal with AT&T, which ended in June. Athletic director Kirby Hocutt said earlier this year that AT&T chose not to renew. The old contract front-loaded most of its financial value through upfront payments. The Galaxy deal spreads the money out over the full 15-year term, a notable shift in structure.

The stadium first opened on Nov. 29, 1947, as Clifford B. and Audrey Jones Stadium, honoring the school’s third president and his wife. Corporate naming rights arrived in 2000 with Jones SBC Stadium, then shifted to Jones AT&T Stadium in 2006. Texas Tech said the Jones family will still get recognized somewhere in the venue, but the specific tribute plans haven’t been announced yet.

The Red Raiders are set to debut Galaxy Stadium on Sept. 5, 2026, against Abilene Christian. That season also happens to follow the program’s first College Football Playoff appearance. So the timing couldn’t be much better for a splashy rebranding moment. The old name is gone. The new one is locked in. And the money is real.

Share this article:
« Previous
AJ Blubaugh Could Be Houston’s Secret Trade Weapon at the Deadline
Next »
Kingston Flemings Has a Shot Problem. Zuby Ejiofor Has a Foul Problem. Both Could Still Make Atlanta’s Roster.

Leave a Comment