Galaxy Digital plants its name on Texas Tech football stadium

Galaxy Digital has signed a 15-year agreement to rename Texas Tech’s football venue Galaxy Stadium from the 2026 season.

According to Friday’s announcement, the deal also makes Galaxy the official digital assets and data center partner of Texas Tech Athletics. Financial details were not disclosed.

The renamed stadium will host its first game on Sept. 5, when Texas Tech opens the season against Abilene Christian. Alongside 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 has approval for 1.6 gigawatts of capacity dedicated to artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.

Through the Texas Tech agreement, Galaxy is connecting its West Texas infrastructure business with one of the region’s most visible college sports programs. The announcement did not provide details on the planned AI projects, training programs or potential payments involving athletes.

Galaxy links its data center business with Texas Tech football

Once the 2026 season begins, Galaxy’s 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 because the agreement covers digital assets, data centers and joint university programs.

Located in nearby Dickens County, the Helios campus gives Galaxy an existing operational base close to 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 large digital infrastructure developments.

The Texas Tech deal follows continued investment in computing facilities across the state. Texas already hosts Bitcoin miners and infrastructure operators including Riot Platforms, Cipher Mining, Core Scientific, CleanSpark, IREN and Hut 8.

In February, mining hardware maker Canaan purchased a 49% interest in three operating Texas mining sites from Cipher Mining for almost $40 million. Earlier this month, MARA Holdings announced plans to acquire a powered site with two gigawatts of capacity in Texas for a campus supporting high-performance computing and Bitcoin mining.

Texas attracts more crypto investment and political spending

Outside infrastructure development, crypto-linked political groups have increased their spending in Texas elections. Industry-affiliated political action committees spent more than $10 million in May on candidates contesting congressional primary runoffs, according to the supplied report.

All six candidates supported by those groups won their races, the report stated. The spending added another layer to the industry’s activity in a state already attracting miners, data center developers and digital asset companies.

Texas officials have also adopted policies involving Bitcoin. Last year, Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation establishing the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.

In May, state officials began moving the reserve’s exposure away from a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund and toward directly custodied Bitcoin, according to the report. The transition placed Texas among the US states using public policy to hold Bitcoin directly rather than relying only on a regulated investment product.

Galaxy’s stadium agreement now adds a major college sports partnership to that activity. While the 15-year term gives the company a long presence at Texas Tech, neither party has disclosed the contract’s value or a timetable for the planned student and workforce programs.