Galaxy Digital secures $75 million Texas Tech stadium naming rights deal

Galaxy Digital, a crypto and AI infrastructure firm, has secured a $75 million, 15-year deal to rename Texas Tech University's football stadium to Galaxy Stadium. The partnership, which makes Galaxy the university's official data center and digital assets partner, is strategically tied to its massive Helios data center campus in West Texas. The deal reflects Galaxy's pivot to AI infrastructure and a broader trend of tech firms using sports sponsorships for visibility.

Galaxy Digital stadium naming deal

• ▪Galaxy Digital secured a 15-year naming rights deal with Texas Tech University for its football stadium
• ▪The previous naming rights deal for the stadium with AT&T expired in June 2026
• ▪The stadium, formerly Jones AT&T Stadium, will be renamed Galaxy Stadium starting with the 2026 football season
• ▪The deal is valued at approximately $75 million over 15 years, a figure confirmed by Texas Tech's Athletic Director

Helios data center campus

• ▪Galaxy Digital acquired the Helios site, a former Argo Blockchain Bitcoin mine, in late 2022 for approximately $65 million
• ▪The stadium deal is strategically linked to Galaxy Digital's Helios data center campus in nearby Dickens County, Texas
• ▪The Helios campus has 1.6 gigawatts of approved power capacity, making it one of the largest data centers in North America
• ▪Large data centers in drought-prone West Texas face potential backlash over water and grid strain, though Galaxy states its facility uses a 'closed-loop' water system

Cryptocurrency sports sponsorships

• ▪Ripple has become an official sponsor of the University of Kansas, with its XRP logo set to appear on team jerseys
• ▪The former FTX crypto exchange had a naming rights deal for an NBA arena before the company collapsed

AI infrastructure sports sponsorships

• ▪AI cloud provider IREN signed a jersey-patch agreement with the NBA's Golden State Warriors valued at over $50 million annually
• ▪IREN's sponsorship deal with the Golden State Warriors aims to increase visibility among Bay Area AI startups
• ▪The Galaxy Digital deal is part of the company's strategic pivot from pure crypto trading toward AI and high-performance computing infrastructure

Texas Tech partnership details

• ▪The deal creates Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for Texas Tech student-athletes through branded campaigns
• ▪Galaxy Digital aims to expand its hiring of Texas Tech graduates for its nearby Helios data center
• ▪As part of the deal, Galaxy Digital becomes the official data center and digital assets partner of Texas Tech Athletics
• ▪The partnership includes branding for Galaxy Digital across Texas Tech's football and men's and women's basketball programs