Jones Stadium Goes Green For Mental Health Month Tonight

The Red & Black will be back soon, but will take a brief break to give way for something incredibly special.

The Jones Goes Green For Mental Health Awareness

Make a point to drive by Jones Stadium for a sight that has only happened once before. Tonight, in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Jones is going green.

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It may look like we've turned into Baylor, but to be honest, it looks a bit more like an alien invasion. The green light, plus the eeriness of an empty Jones Stadium, makes for a spectacular sight.

According to Nick Harpster (who provided these photos from last year, thank you!), a Student Success Specialist at Texas Tech, "mental health continues to be a concerning issue in all our lives, but the stigma is still strong. The more we can do to educate people and make talking about mental health more normalized, the better off we can be, so I am doing my part to bring awareness to Texas Tech and the Lubbock Community."

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A New Tradition In Lubbock

This is the 2nd year for Turn the Jones Green for Mental Health Month. The Jones will be lit up green beginning at 5 p.m. this evening, May the 4th. Additionally, the Lubbock County courthouse will also light up green.

Why Mental Health Is So Important

I lost a very good friend to her mental health battle. Suicide is up in Texas. According to USAFacts.org:

There were 4490 deaths by suicide in 2024. In other words, about 14.2 for every 100,000 people in Texas.  [...] The suicide rate in Texas has increased by 32.7% over the past 20 years.

While suicide can happen for many different reasons, there has been a massive increase in the number of people who have felt so lost and alone that they've chosen to take their own lives. If we can be kinder, more helpful, and more aware, we very well may save lives.