The Texas Tech University System has deferred to the state Attorney General's office open records requests from the Avalanche-Journal and two other local media organizations seeking contract and additional information about Tech Athletics' recent football stadium naming rights agreement with Galaxy.
The A-J's request came shortly after Tech Athletics announced on July 17 that the previously named Jones AT&T Stadium will now be called Galaxy Stadium, according to previous A-J reporting. Galaxy is a technological company that specializes in advanced data center infrastructure and digital assets.
Specifically, the A-J submitted an open records request to Texas Tech on July 17 seeking: "Any contract or other document reflecting financial and other details
of agreement between Texas Tech University and new naming partner on the former Jones Stadium."
In a response dated July 29 to the A-J as well as The Daily Toreador and KLBK-TV, the general counsel's office for the Texas Tech University System confirmed it was seeking the state AG's opinion regarding the local news organizations' requests for contract details.
"TTUS has requested an Attorney General Open Records Decision (“ORD”), which will determine whether we may release the information to you," reads the letter from Bronte C. Staugaard, assistant general counsel for the TTU System. "Our ORD request is attached for your information. Further, the document(s) that you requested may contain proprietary information belonging to a third party. TTUS may rely on the third party to establish that part or all of the information should be withheld under applicable exceptions intended to protect their interests. Once the Attorney General makes a decision regarding the public disclosure of the information, TTUS will make the information that is determined by the Attorney General to be public, if any, available for copying or inspection."
Texas Tech Athletics announces new 'Galaxy' football stadium name
Tech announced its new naming rights agreement with Galaxy on July 17 after its agreement with AT&T expired in June following 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 A-J previously reported. 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.
(Avalanche-Journal reporters Nathan Giese and Don Williams contributed to this story.)
Adam D. Young is the Editor of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and Amarillo Globe-News in Texas. Have a news tip for him? Email him at ayoung@lubbockonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech defers to AG on A-J, media requests for Galaxy stadium deal
