The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Brad Paisley's 'Country Nation College Tour' presented by Zaxby's to visit UT campus
08.19.2015 | Texas Athletics
The tour rolls into Austin for an on-campus show Thursday, Sept. 10.
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- As the 2015 college football season kicks off, country music superstar Brad Paisley, Texas Athletics, and their multimedia partner IMG are taking Paisley's show to The University of Texas at Austin to provide free entertainment for the Longhorns' campus community.
The "Country Nation College Tour presented by Zaxby's" rolls into Austin for an on-campus show Thursday, Sept. 10 with three-time Grammy nominee and Texas native Pat Green as special guest and opening performer. Venue and show access details will be announced soon. Information about ticket availability will be released Friday, Aug. 21.
Other college tour dates announced for IMG partner schools are:
- Sunday, Sept. 6: Virginia Tech;
- Friday, Sept. 11: Baylor University; and,
- Saturday, Sept. 12: University of Arkansas.
Additional university tour stops will be announced in the coming weeks.
"We are thrilled to welcome Brad Paisley back to The University of Texas campus," said Texas Men's Athletics Director Steve Patterson. "This free concert provides UT students and fans an opportunity to come together and build community excitement prior to our football home opener vs. Rice on Sept. 12."
Paisley is currently poised to hit the radio airwaves with "Country Nation," the newest single from his chart-topping album, Moonshine in the Trunk. Shipping to country radio on Monday, Aug. 31 with an official airplay impact date of Monday, Sept. 14, "Country Nation" was written by Paisley and his longtime collaborators Chris DuBois and Kelley Lovelace. A celebration of the blue-collar spirit and America's passion for sports, the song weaves in a shout-out to 18 college sports mascots, including the Longhorns steer.
Paisley's affection for college football runs deep. He plans to once again serve as a spokesperson for "College Colors Day," a nationwide celebration of the new college football season, which was created by IMG. He has also appeared as a celebrity guest picker on the ESPN show "College GameDay" at West Virginia University.
IMG College, the multimedia rights partner of The University of Texas, is a division of WME | IMG, which also represents Paisley and brokered the college tour deal.
"Music and sports are passions of so many people -- Zaxby's included -- and we couldn't think of a better way to unite the two this fall," said Zaxby's CEO and co-founder Zach McLeroy. "We're even more passionate about the guests and communities we serve, and this sponsorship is a perfect opportunity for us to give back to our fans."
In addition to the free concert series, McLeroy explained Zaxby's connection to college sports. "We've been involved with college sports for a long time. Zaxby's was, after all, started in a college town," he said. "But we're amping it up this football and basketball season by partnering with 30 Division I colleges throughout our footprint. We're excited to play a role in something that means so much to so many."
