What Does George Strait's Record-Breaking Performance Say About Texas A&M's Immense Culture?

George Strait performed a 32-song setlist to the largest concert crowd in United States history at Kyle Field. It says a lot about him, yes, but it also speaks to the Texas A&M Aggies' culture and what they're willing to rally behind.

Oct 30, 2022; Nashville, TN, USA; George Strait performs during a "Coal Miner's Daughter: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Loretta Lynn" memorial concert at Grand Ole Opry House. / The Tennessean-USA TODAY NETWORK

COLLEGE STATION, TX. — Standing backstage still wearing the button-up shirt on his back he promised to give away one lucky fan who won the online raffle, George Strait smiles and holds up a blue, crumpled-up sticky note.

"The King of Country Music," as he's come to be known, had just finished performing another show. Recently, he'd been touring with Little Big Town and Chris Stapleton at stadiums across the country, but none of them compared to the feat he'd just accomplished — marked by the number he was holding.

"110, 905" it read.

Kyle Field, with its listed capacity of 102,733, had just managed to fit that many people in for one night only — utilizing all of its available standing room and floor space — to watch Strait perform in Aggieland. Not only was it the only Texas show of his ongoing tour, but it was the first of its kind at Texas A&M.

Never before had an artist gotten the privilege of performing at such a large venue, and never before had an artist played in front of a ticketed crowd that large. Not until Strait came along, breaking the United States record held by Grateful Dead back when it packed 107,019 people into Raceway Park back in 1977.

Strait had made history. The Texas A&M Aggies had made history.

And there wasn't ever a doubt in anyone's mind that they would.

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Rumors had been flying about the possibility of George Strait performing at Kyle Field well before its official announcement. Between him and a Mexico vs. Brazil soccer match that took place at the stadium during the annual MexTour, it was clear that Texas A&M knew what kind of space it had.

Yes, it was perfect for Saturday night football games. But what else could it do?

“All of us in athletics are trying to think about, how do we activate these spaces?" Texas A&M Athletic Director said of Kyle Field's new ventures. "You have to shift your mindset away from just doing athletic department events in a really iconic space.”

Soccer was one thing. More than 85,000 fans filled the stands at Kyle Field to watch a 3-2 match in favor of Brazil, and when it was over, they scattered, leaving Messina Touring Group and company with just a week to set up the largest concert in United States history.

Surely one man couldn't have that big of a draw, right?

Well, Strait didn't market as just "one man." To many, he was the best to ever strum the guitar and one of the purest voices in country music. They called him "The King" for a reason. That's why it made sense for tickets to his only Texas show of the year to go quickly — and expensively.

A birds-eye view of Kyle Field in College Station as part of the Texas A&M Aggies' new partnership with Cotton Holdings. The "Home of the 12th Man" will also be the first location for the Aggies' first game against the Texas Longhorns in 13 years. / Photo provided Cotton Holdings Inc.

At most, tickets were going for thousands apiece. At the cheapest, they were just under $100 for the seats in the back row of the top deck, yet they all sold. Strait managed to demand a crowd large enough for Kyle Field to resort to standing room only on the concourse in addition to floor space.

And when his concert began, every one of those 110,905 fans were audible.

Before playing at Kyle Field, Strait had performed for a crowd of over 104,000 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington back in 2014 for his "Cowboy Rides Away" tour. In all likelihood, the fans in attendance that night didn't know he'd still be performing 10 years later, but that didn't take away from the draw.

Texas A&M had the facility to make the largest United States concert ever happen. Whether or not a venue in Waxahachie or Fort Worth the same size would have drawn the same crowd is a question that won't ever be answered, but it's an astounding yes regarding Kyle Field. There was no reasonable doubt that fans would show up for his performance in Aggieland.

But why?

Was it because of Strait's connection to the university through his son, Bubba? Was it because fans would be seeing Catie Offerman, Parker McCollum, and Strait? Something else?

While those factors certainly helped, the biggest reason for Aggies — among other country fans — showing up in such large capacity was because of the pride that came with it.

George Strait, "The King of Country Music," was performing in Texas for one night only, and he'd be in Kyle Field surrounded by Maroon.

The Aggies just had to be there.

Strait had been on tour prior to his performance in College Station. Many of the shows he was doing were with Chris Stapleton, as the pair went on a stadium roadshow to perform for crowds across the country. Those were uniquely a part of that tour.

One look at the venue the night of his show in Aggieland, however, revealed that this particular concert was a Texas A&M event.

Aggie logos were permanently fixed on the screen on either side of the live feed playing on the large video board above the South endzone, and on the two boards on adjacent sides of the North endzone was the phrase: "The King at Kyle Field."

Maroon shirts reading "Howdy" resemblant of the Aggies' annual "Maroon Out" shirts were sold at merchandise tables and any refillable drink cup was fixed with a logo to commemorate the one-night-only event. "Home of The 12th Man" was still proudly displayed above the typical student section that was now filled with country music fans, many of them Aggies embracing the country love that ran in their blood.

Everything about the event connected back to Texas A&M.

Right down to Strait's "Whoop" on stage in the first 15 minutes of his performance.

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Strait performed 32 of his hits to a crowd proudly wearing light-up wristbands to make the experience even more immersive, starting with "Stars On the Water" and ending with "The Cowboy Rides Away."

He made the night of 110, 905 people by just singing, though that says more about him than anything else. What it says about the Aggies, however, is that they have an immense culture willing to latch onto anything that makes it proud. But that's been known.

Kyle Field has become almost a sacred place for Texas A&M faithful. It boasts one of the largest capacities for a sporting venue in the country, and the Aggies fill it on a regular basis.

They're already proud supporters of the team despite its struggles, but if a championship were to come to fruition? It'd reach another level. All of a sudden, almost every crowd would be a sellout and in a big-time matchup, Strait's record might see a threat.

The Aggies have been waiting for a long time to be in contention. George Strait's performance wasn't a championship — and I won't liken it to that — but the crowd it drew showed the Aggies' pride and passion. Their willingness to buy into something that is purely, unapologetically Texas A&M.

If Strait's crowd was a preview, or in some ways, a flex, of what the Aggies can do, then there's something to be said about the program's future.

It just has to get there.