This Saturday also gave us a moment to thank Lee Corso as he stepped away from ESPN College GameDay. For generations of fans like me, Mr. Corso made Saturday mornings brighter with his wit, insight, and, of course, his legendary headgear picks. I can’t even be mad that he picked Ohio State more than 45 times, forcing this devoted Michigan fan to endure plenty of Brutus Buckeye headgear moments (ok, a little mad maybe, bleh!). Quite simply, Coach Corso changed the course of college football, making it what it is today. His ability to infuse entertainment, deliver both cringeworthy and hilarious moments, and offer sharp critique laid the groundwork for reporters, broadcasters, and fans to experience the game in a whole new way. Thank you, Coach, from every college football fan, past, present, and future!
But increasingly, the story of college athletics is also being told off the field in stadium shows, ticketing revenue, and fan engagement. Universities are no longer just hosting football games. They are transforming into full-scale entertainment destinations, and Week 1 showcased both the opportunities and challenges of that shift.
Before diving into Fresno State’s story, it’s worth noting a bigger trend: Stadium concerts are redefining how athletic programs engage their communities. Success isn’t just about landing a superstar act – it takes strategy, fan-focused planning, and a clear path to long-term value. And as always in college athletics, revenue is the real scoreboard.
Fresno State’s recent concert is a perfect example of this trend in action. Their concert with Latin superstar, Shakira, looks to have been a financial win with a reported $400,000 rake for the athletic department, drawing more than 40,000 fans to Valley Children’s Stadium. According to the Fresno Bee’s sports coverage, the event grossed around $5 million in ticket revenue and helped showcase the campus as a major entertainment destination in California’s Central Valley.
However, the concert was not without challenges. Parking and traffic headaches, along with long concession lines, left some fans frustrated. Athletic Director Terry Tumey admitted the university learned a lot from the experience and will need to address those operational issues moving forward. It was a success in terms of dollars and exposure, but also a clear reminder that execution beyond the stage is what determines long-term fan sentiment.
Marshall University brought in Zach Bryan, one of the biggest names in live music today. While financials have not yet been released, the immediate fan reaction online shows to be positive. Friends of mine made the long drive from Maryland and still called the trip worth every mile.
Not many can or are doing it as well as Zach Bryan these days. If you can get that kind of dedication from an artist fanbase or your alumni/student base, it gives you the ability to build loyalty and demand. Zach Bryan will now take his talents to other storied college stadiums over the next few weeks as he delights the fanbases at both Notre Dame and the University of Michigan (Go Blue!).
At Virginia Tech, the buzz from their May concert with Metallica is still shaking, literally. “Enter Sandman” registered a vibration on the Richter scale, proving just how powerful a stadium show can be.
Rumors swirled about potential field condition issues leading into football season, but Athletic Director Whit Babcock called the event both a visual and financial success, with revenues rumored at $1.2M (Roanoke Times). The lesson? Stadium concerts bring huge wins, but they must be balanced with operational tradeoffs.
The University of Toledo entered the stadium concert conversation in a big way with its first-ever large-scale show, Hometown Heroes Glass City Live, at the Glass Bowl Stadium in May 2025. Headlined by the Zac Brown Band with special guests Dustin Lynch, Luke Grimes, and Gaelic Storm, the event was anticipated to be the largest concert ever on the university’s campus. Degy booked and executed several student activities shows at UT from 2010-2016, but can emphatically say they weren’t as big as this one.
According to Sports Business Journal, Toledo used the show as a template to not only generate ticket revenue but also to benefit local businesses and the broader Glass City community. That approach illustrates a powerful model for how athletic departments can tie live music directly to economic impact while elevating their brand presence.
Meanwhile, the University of Arizona just announced a new concert featuring Shaquille O’Neal aka DJ Diesel to Bear Down Field on October 3. Arizona is tying the concert directly to their athletic brand, making live music part of the student and fan experience around the move of their men’s basketball program. It is another example of how schools are using concerts not just for revenue, but to strengthen community and elevate game day culture.
While powerhouses like Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Michigan dominate headlines, mid-tier schools like Marshall or Toledo may stand to benefit the most. Without massive media rights deals or NIL budgets, concerts can provide much-needed ticketing revenue and momentum.
The key is proper planning. That means taking baby steps before you run. I see many athletic departments skipping those critically important steps and skipping right to the ‘sexy stuff’ in looking at artist pricing and wondering who they should host. I continue to remind my athletic colleagues that creating CADs of the venue layout, developing execution plans, designing fan experience, building detailed ProFormas, and conducting gap and competitor analysis of the market are where to start.
These steps prepare an athletic department to make a real “Go” or “No-Go” decision with confidence, aligning concerts with the school’s goals, risk tolerance, and long-term growth strategy. When smaller programs take this disciplined approach, their stadiums and arenas can become transformational revenue drivers just like those at the Power Four level.
While football stadiums grab the headlines, they are not the only venues on campus that can deliver results. In fact, they are often the hardest to book since true headliners that can fill 40,000 to 100,000 seats are few and far between. Stadiums also come with significant logistics challenges, facility risks, and weather exposure. They generally yield the bigger paydays, if negotiated right and sell well, but there is inherently higher risk, as well.
Basketball and ice arenas, baseball stadiums, and even large, athletic parking lots can often be smarter choices. These venues may not feel as flashy, but depending on the campus, they might be easier to take offline for longer periods of time, often have better infrastructure for production, and provide scheduling flexibility that works better for promoters and touring artists. For many schools, these spaces represent the sweet spot between capacity, cost, and ease of execution. By leaning into these options, colleges can still create impactful shows while minimizing risks.
Stadium concerts in college football venues can be transformative. They generate national buzz, drive new revenue, engage the community, support local businesses, and strengthen athletic department brands. But they also demand strategy, logistics, and a relentless focus on the fan experience. Athletic departments that invest in data-driven planning and strong partnerships are the ones who will turn these shows into long-term wins.
At Degy Entertainment, we help universities, athletic departments, and event teams navigate this exact intersection of sports and live entertainment. From market analysis to artist booking to fan experience strategy and proper event execution, we work at the heart of this evolving space. Week 1 was only the start of what promises to be a season filled with lessons, wins, and opportunities – both on and off the field.
Are you considering hosting an athletic facility concert and need guidance? Contact our team at Degy Entertainment today and let us show you the steps on how to make it a financial success for your program.
If you’re sitting on a stadium, arena, field, or parking lot that is only used for athletic purposes, let’s see if we can find gold out of that goldmine.
Degy Entertainment (talent buying & middle agency)
Degy Consulting Services (entertainment consulting services)
Email: ari@degy.com
Call: 732-818-9600 (Office) | 908-296-2874 (Cell)
Website: www.degy.com