LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – A song born from a moment of chaos at a Texas Tech football game has become the subject of a trademark lawsuit filed by the University System.
The story began during the Red Raiders’ non-conference game against Oregon State last season. Friends of Cade Brunson ran onto Cody Campbell Field, which led to their arrest.
Brunson, inspired by the incident, wrote a song called “Rush the Jones” that told the story of his friends’ actions and subsequent night in jail.
Brunson says he first made the song to poke fun at his friends, but the song quickly gained traction online, accumulating more than a million views on TikTok.
“The whole song is exactly what happened on the field, it’s a story song,” Brunson said. “We made it because it was hilarious.”
Texas Tech also highlighted “Rush the Jones” on Instagram as one of its “TOP SONGS” of 2025.
A song born from a moment of chaos at a Texas Tech football game has become the subject of a trademark lawsuit filed by the University System.(KCBD Graphic)
The viral success led Brunson to trademark the phrase and monetize the brand, filing to trademark “Rush the Jones” in September 2025.
Six months later, he received a cease-and-desist letter from the Texas Tech University System. Brunson ignored the letter, prompting the university to file a lawsuit.
The Texas Tech University System claims ownership over the “Jones Stadium Family of Trademarks” based on the football stadium’s naming after former President Clifford B. Jones nearly 80 years ago.
The university’s attorneys argue that “Rush the Jones” could cause confusion with the official Texas Tech brand and its Jones trademarks, particularly because of the website domain RushTheJones.tech.
“We went to buy RushTheJones.com and someone had already purchased it,” Brunson said. “We randomly generated a website and by luck, it was RushTheJones.tech. The website being ‘.tech’ was completely by chance,” Brunson said.
Brunson again reiterated that he did not change the website domain after the cease and desist because he felt he had done due diligence.
The Texas Tech University System also contends that because the brand originated from illegal activity, it could inspire others to rush the field in an effort to gain publicity or profit. The university claims “Rush the Jones” would tarnish its brand.
Brunson said the song’s message actually discourages the behavior.
“We don’t condone running on the field. Don’t do it,” he said. “The whole song, the point of the song is…they got arrested. They spent the night in jail. As a 20-year-old kid, you don’t want to spend the night in Lubbock County Jail.”
Brunson said he and his collaborators consulted with legal advisors and followed proper procedures in filing the trademark. “Not a single thing that we’ve ever done for this was out of malicious intent for anybody or anything or to steal a trademark,” he said.
Money earned from the song was used to help pay legal fees for the friends who were arrested.
As the legal battle continues, Brunson said community support has sustained him and his collaborators. “Just fight it till we can’t. If we lose it, we lose it,” he said. “But at the end of the day, I mean, it’s, you’re fighting the public on this one… we’re just excited to be here in Lubbock and happy that everybody’s been so supportive of us.”
Brunson said he and his friend Slade plan to move away from “Rush the Jones” and continue making music because of the community’s backing.
Texas Tech did not respond to requests for comment on the case.
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