Big 12 Championship unveils new gameday fan experiences for 2025 title game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Big 12 Championship returns to Arlington, once again staged under the massive video board at AT&T Stadium, better known across college football as Jerry World. The Texas Tech Red Raiders and BYU Cougars will collide there with a Big 12 crown and a de facto ticket to the College Football Playoff hanging in the balance.
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With the conference title and a national television window on tap, the league is adding big-stage sheen to the 2025 Edward Jones Big 12 Football Championship. From a country star headlining halftime to a downtown Dallas skyline light show and school-specific concession offerings, Championship Saturday is being framed as a daylong spectacle as much as a football game.
The Big 12 Conference unveils fun plans for the Championship game
Country music star Jon Pardi will handle the halftime spotlight, performing alongside both schools’ marching bands from a new on-field setup designed to bring fans closer to the show. The conference is rolling out a “Pardi Pit,” a premium field-level viewing area that will put fans directly in front of the stage during the performance. Before kickoff, country star Lanie Gardner will sing the national anthem.
Championship week will extend beyond the stadium, including a Big 12 Field Day at Peach Elementary School in Arlington, where conference student-athletes and staff will spend time with students through games and arts and crafts. In Dallas, a football-themed light show on Reunion Tower will anchor a skyline “takeover” on Friday and Saturday nights, giving the game a visible footprint well beyond Arlington.
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On game day, the Big 12 BLVD. A Fan Fest presented by HeluvaGood! is set for the East Plaza at AT&T Stadium from 9 to 11 a.m. CT, offering pregame entertainment and activations before gates fill. Inside and around the venue, Big 12 Eats, presented by Undeniably Dairy, will serve school-specific food and beverage items aimed at giving fans a sense of home flavors in a neutral-site setting.
The league’s footprint will stretch into the neighboring Texas Live! district, where the Venmo Hall at Sports & Social Arlington is scheduled to operate from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT. The Black Crowes are slated for a 6:30 p.m. set on the Live! Arena stage, giving fans a postgame concert option, whether they stay in the stadium neighborhood or come in just for the music.
Inside the game, the conference will recognize the Monster Energy Student Sections of the Game, continuing an emphasis on student participation and energy that has been a point of emphasis across the league. One fan will also be selected for the Allstate Kick Promotion, getting a shot at a 35-yard field goal worth $12,000, adding a made-for-TV moment to a broadcast window that already looms large.
You can’t get enough merchandise either. Championship-branded gear for both Texas Tech and BYU, along with neutral Big 12 items, will be available through partners Rally House and New Era in and around AT&T Stadium.
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The Kickoff of the Big 12 Championship is set for 11 am CT with the broadcast on ABC.
