That’s a great bit of Texas country and football history! The story goes like this:
George Strait, who was a student at Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State) in San Marcos in the early 1970s, formed his band Ace in the Hole while studying there. Later in his career, when Strait became a major star, he started doing massive concerts in stadiums and naturally, people in Texas wondered: why does he always play at Texas Tech’s Jones AT&T Stadium instead of the bigger Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin?
The answer mostly comes down to venue rules, relationships and logistics, not rivalry:
University of Texas (UT) regulations: For a long time, UT did not allow large-scale non-athletic events — like major concerts — at Darrell K Royal Stadium. The administration was protective of the turf and the stadium’s condition for football season and they also had strict limits on alcohol and crowd management that didn’t fit typical concert setups.
Texas Tech was open and accommodating: Texas Tech University, on the other hand, was more willing to host big concerts. Their administration welcomed the idea, worked closely with Strait’s production team, and allowed the setup needed for a major show. This made Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock a perfect choice.
Symbolism and connection: Strait has deep Texas roots and a massive fan base across West Texas. Playing in Lubbock, home of Buddy Holly and a cornerstone of Texas country music, carried a lot of symbolic weight. It became part of his “King of Country” legend to hold record-breaking shows there.
Timing and tradition: Once Strait’s 2003 and later stadium shows at Texas Tech became iconic, it just stuck. It turned into a tradition and when he did his big farewell tours, he kept returning to the stadiums and cities that had hosted him best.
So, it wasn’t really that Strait “chose Tech over Austin” in a rivalry sense, it was more about who would let him put on the kind of massive, fan-filled show he wanted to deliver.
