Big 12 Getting Hot In Here, Nelly To Perform At Football Championship
Aug 16, 2023, 9:13 AM

Rapper Nelly is going to perform at the 2023 Big 12 Conference Football Championship Game. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Big 12 Conference will have a Super Bowl-like halftime show at the 2023 Championship Game led by rapper Nelly.
That’s right, the man behind hits “Hot In Herre” and “Air Force Ones” will perform at AT&T Stadium for Big 12 fans on December 2.
𝟭𝟮.2.23. Nelly
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) August 16, 2023
“We are thrilled to announce Nelly will be joining our school’s marching bands to perform at the first-ever Big 12 Football Championship halftime show,” said Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark. “The Big 12 is committed to living at the intersection of sports and culture and introducing Championship enhancements that are best in class.”
Nelly has experience performing for football fans. The three-time Grammy award-winning artist has performed during halftime of Super Bowl XXXV and Super Bowl XXXVIII. He also performed during the 2022 NFL Divisional Playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills.
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark has made it a point of emphasis to turn the league’s championship events into spectacles that attract a wide-ranging audience.
This season’s championship game will again be held at AT&T Stadium, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. Kickoff for the game is at 10 a.m. (MT).
The Big 12 Conference Championship game will continue at AT&T Stadium through the 2030 season.
“It’s a world-class venue. Probably the finest in America,” Yormark said at Big 12 Media Days in July. “We have a great partnership with AT&T, Dallas, and the Dallas Cowboys Stadium. And speaking to some of the student-athletes today, this place is very aspirational.”
The Big 12 Conference has 14 teams in the league this season, including first-year members BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, and Houston. The top two teams will determine Championship game performers based on conference records from the regular season.
Top 10 Nelly Songs of All-Time
As voted by Mitch Harper
1. Dilemma (feat. Kelly Rowland)
2. E.I.
3. Hot In Herre
4. Here I Am (Rick Ross track)
5. Grillz (feat. Paul Wall & Ali & Gipp)
6. Just a Dream
7. Over and Over (feat. Tim McGraw)
8. Lil Bit (feat. Florida Georgia Line)
9. Heart of a Champion
10. Cruise (Remix)
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on Twitter/X and Threads: @Mitch_Harper.
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