Brad Paisley’s Country Nation College Tour Presented By Zaxby’s To Visit Baylor University

“Country Nation” Single On Radio Soon

Contact: Lori Fogleman, 254-710-6275
Follow Lori on Twitter at @LoriBaylorU
Follow Baylor Media Communications on Twitter: @BaylorUMedia

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Aug. 19, 2015) As the 2015 college football season kicks off, country music superstar Brad Paisley and IMG College will be taking his show to Baylor University to provide free entertainment for the campus community.

The “Country Nation College Tour presented by Zaxby’s” will roll into Waco and set up on campus on Friday, Sept. 11. The comedy band The Raging Idiots, which features Bobby Bones and Eddie from iHeartMedia’s national country radio program The Bobby Bones Show, will be the special guest. Venue and show details will be announced soon.

Other College Tour dates announced for IMG partner schools are Sept. 6 – Virginia Tech, Sept. 10 – The University of Texas, and Sept. 12 – University of Arkansas. Additional university tour stops will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We look forward to having Brad Paisley’s College Tour make a stop in Waco,” said Baylor Executive Associate A.D./External Affairs Nick Joos. “This will be a great event for our students surrounding the home opener (Sept. 12 against Lamar) and we are appreciative of IMG, WME and Brad Paisley for bringing this special event to Waco.”

“The students’ excitement for Traditions Rally 2015 is only matched by the enthusiasm for the upcoming football season,” said Matt Burchett, director of student activities at Baylor. “Football, fireworks, Brad and Briles is the perfect way to kick-off the home opener.”

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 Aug. 31 with an official airplay impact date of 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 Longhorn 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 Baylor University, 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.”

About Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley is a critically acclaimed singer, songwriter, guitarist and entertainer whose talents have earned him numerous awards, including three GRAMMYs, two American Music Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards and 14 Country Music Association Awards (including Entertainer of the Year), among many others. He has been a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry since 2001. Paisley has written 20 of his 23 #1 singles with the first being his 1999 hit “He Didn’t Have To Be” and his most recent, “Perfect Storm,” from his chart-topping 2014 album Moonshine in the Trunk. Paisley kicked off his Crushin’ It World Tour the middle of May by playing to over 50,000 fans the first weekend. Paisley has partnered with Boot Barn® and developed an exclusive line of jeans, hats, T-shirts, jewelry, belts and woven shirts called Moonshine Spirit by Brad Paisley. Fans can look for him and Carrie Underwood to return as hosts of “Country Music’s Biggest Night™” for the eighth consecutive year when “The 49th Annual CMA Awards” airs live from Nashville on Wednesday, Nov. 4 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network. Connect with Brad at www.BradPaisley.com, www.Facebook.com/BradPaisley, on Twitter @BradPaisley, on Instagram @Brad Paisley and on YouTube at YouTube.com/BradPaisley.

About The Raging Idiots
Comprised of Bobby and Eddie from iHeartMedia’s The Bobby Bones Show, The Raging Idiots is a comedy band that plays shows all over the U.S. to benefit various charitable causes. Signed to the Black River Entertainment in 2015, the duo has raised more than $800,000 to date, and has performed and recorded songs with country artists such as Toby Keith, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Florida Georgia Line, Maggie Rose, Craig Campbell and others. The Raging Idiots debut album “Charity Hilarity” has been downloaded over 10,000 times. For more information, please visit www.bobbybones.com.

About Zaxby’s
Enjoying the best chicken around in an atmosphere where you could be yourself - that’s what childhood friends Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley wanted to achieve when they founded Zaxby’s in 1990. Many years and locations later, Zaxby’s is still delivering on that promise: to serve delicious chicken fingers, wings, sandwiches and salads in a fun, offbeat atmosphere where all customers are welcomed as friends.

In 2015, Zaxby’s was the No. 9 fastest-growing chain in the Nation’s Restaurant News Top 100 list. Entrepreneur magazine ranked Zaxby’s as one of the fastest-growing franchises and as a Top 500 franchise. In Technomic’s Consumers’ Choice Awards, Zaxby’s was named the Most Craveable fast casual restaurant chain (2014), and as the chain with the Most Unique Items You Can’t Get Elsewhere (2015). Zaxby’s operates more than 700 locations in 16 states and is headquartered in Athens, Georgia. For more information, visit zaxbys.com or zaxbysfranchising.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Independent Publicist: Darlene Bieber, Bieber Public Relations, 615-584-9060, darlene@bieberpr.com
Label Contact: Allen Brown or Bob Foglia, Sony Music Nashville, 615-301-4300, allen.brown@sonymusic.com, bob.foglia@sonymusic.com