Galaxy Digital has signed a 15-year deal to rename Texas Tech’s football stadium Galaxy Stadium, starting with the 2026 season.
Summary
- Galaxy Digital has secured the naming rights to Texas Tech’s football stadium for 15 years.
- Galaxy will support the university’s AI, digital assets, athlete and workforce programs.
- The deal expands Galaxy’s presence near its 1.6 gigawatt Helios data center.
According to Friday’s announcement, the deal also makes Galaxy the official digital asset and data center partner of Texas Tech Athletics. Financial details were not disclosed.
The renowned stadium will host its first game on September 5, when Texas Tech opens the season against Abilene Christian. Along with the naming rights, Galaxy and the university plan to work on artificial intelligence projects, workforce training and opportunities involving student-athletes’ names, images and likenesses.
Galaxy already operates the Helios data center campus in Dickens County, about 60 miles east of Lubbock. Company figures show the site is approved for 1.6 gigawatts of capacity dedicated to artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.
Through the Texas Tech deal, Galaxy connects its West Texas infrastructure operations to one of the region’s most visible college athletic programs. The announcement did not provide details on planned AI projects, training programs or potential payments involving athletes.
Galaxy ties its data center business to Texas Tech football
Once the 2026 season begins, the Galaxy name will appear on a stadium used by a university competing in the Big 12 conference. The company’s role will also extend beyond branding as the deal covers digital assets, data centers and joint academic programs.
Located in neighboring Dickens County, the Helios campus provides Galaxy with an existing operating base near Texas Tech. Galaxy has positioned the facility for AI and high-performance computing workloads, while its approved power capacity places the site among the region’s major digital infrastructure developments.
The agreement with Texas Tech follows continued investments in IT facilities across the state. Texas is already home to Bitcoin miners and infrastructure operators, including Riot Platforms, Cipher Mining, Core Scientific, CleanSpark, IREN and Hut 8.
In February, mining equipment maker Canaan purchased a 49% stake in three operating mining sites in Texas from Cipher Mining for nearly $40 million. Earlier this month, MARA Holdings announced plans to acquire a two-gigawatt capacity powered site in Texas for a campus supporting high-performance computing and Bitcoin mining.
Texas Attracts More Crypto Investment, Political Spending
Outside of infrastructure development, crypto-related political groups have increased their spending in Texas elections. Industry-affiliated political action committees spent more than $10 million in May on candidates running in congressional primary runoffs, according to the report provided.
All six candidates supported by these groups won their races, the report said. The spending added another layer to industry activity in a state that already attracts miners, data center developers and digital asset companies.
Authorities in Texas have also adopted policies involving Bitcoin. Last year, Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation establishing the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
In May, state officials began shifting reserve exposure from a Bitcoin spot exchange-traded fund to directly held Bitcoin, according to the report. The transition placed Texas among U.S. states using public policy to hold Bitcoin directly rather than relying solely on a regulated investment product.
The agreement concluded with Galaxy Stadium now adds a major university sports partnership to this activity. Although the 15-year term gives the company a long presence within Texas Tech, neither party has disclosed the value of the contract or the timeline of planned student and workforce programs.
