Texas

Negotiations between OpenAI and Oracle for expanding a massive datacenter in Abilene, Texas, as part of the $500 billion Stargate project, have stalled due to disagreements on financing and capacity delivery speed. The project aims to secure US AI leadership but faces headwinds in the global compute arms race with over $700 billion in datacenter lease volume, up 340%. Resolution could accelerate American AI infrastructure dominance amid bubble concerns.

The Big 12 men's basketball tournament switched courts mid-event after a Texas Tech player suffered a serious ankle injury during a game, prompting safety concerns. Officials halted play and moved to a backup court to ensure player welfare. Texas Tech coach Mark Adams said, 'Safety comes first; we're praying for our player's recovery.' The change delayed semifinals by 45 minutes but allowed games to resume without further incidents, highlighting venue preparedness issues.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark ordered an unprecedented mid-tournament change to the playing surface at the men's basketball event after noticing increased court slippage during Texas Tech's loss to Iowa State on Thursday, where guard Christian Anderson was injured midway through the second half. Similar slips occurred in Houston's win over BYU the same day. The decision highlights Yormark's flexibility in addressing safety issues during the high-stakes conference tournament in Kansas City. This rare move in college athletics prioritizes player welfare as March Madness approaches, with no further disruptions reported yet.