Texas Tech fans can only be pleased with what the Red Raiders have done through the first 30 minutes of the Big 12 Championship Game against BYU. The same can clearly not be said, however, about country singer Jon Pardi's halftime performance.
Pardi, whose career has surged over the last three years, was brought to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, to match the country vibe and rally local fans in the Lone Star State. He instead received near-unanimous criticism for his 10-minute halftime performance.
Fans trounced Pardi for being off-key and out of tune during his joint performance with the Texas Tech and BYU marching bands.
“This Jon Pardi performance at the B12 halftime show may be one of the worst I've ever heard lmao,” one fan tweeted.
“Jon Pardi tanking his entire career with one halftime performance.”
“Is Jon Pardi hammered?” a fan critiqued. “Because he sounds like f****** s***.”
Many also criticized the Big 12 for booking Pardi, whose song choices seemingly do not align with the fan base watching the game.
“[Jon] Pardi up there singing about booze in front of a BYU crowd,” another fan reacted.
“BYU fans listening to Jon Pardi sing 4 songs straight about drinking beer.”
BYU fans listening to Jon Pardi sing 4 songs straight about drinking beer pic.twitter.com/QtEfciD6MR
— h (@haydensity) December 6, 2025
The ESPN on ABC broadcast did Pardi no favors, as the camera occasionally panned to an empty crowd. The stadium sold a respectable amount of tickets, but the context of fans using halftime to attend concession stands and the restroom is not present in the photos of the country singer performing to empty seats.
Pardi's poor performance did not affect Texas Tech, which came out firing on all cylinders in the second half. The Red Raiders entered the break with a 13-7 lead, but separated to take a commanding lead in the third quarter.
