Chase Rice Hits Pause on Touring After 13 Nonstop Years
So, here’s what’s happening with Chase Rice — and it’s a pretty big deal if you’ve followed his career. For the first time in 13 years, the country music star is stepping away from the touring life. He announced it himself on social media, telling fans that after his last two shows of the year, he’s officially taking next year off. And honestly, after more than a decade of constant travel, late nights, and nonstop performing, a break sounds well earned.
Now, even though he’s “taking the year off,” a few appearances are still on his 2026 calendar. Big festivals like Stagecoach in California and the Barefoot Country Festival in New Jersey are still locked in, so he won’t be completely off-stage. But the usual heavy touring schedule? That’s being put on pause.
Also Read:What really caught everyone’s attention, though, was the way he explained why he’s taking time off. In classic Chase Rice fashion, he delivered it with a sense of humor. He joked that he’s planning a return to college football — yes, football — and said he’s “going back to apply and train” for what he called his sixth year in the sport. He even added that he’s opening his “recruitment,” giving shoutouts to programs like North Carolina and Florida, and even mentioning coach Lane Kiffin as a factor. It was playful, but it also tapped into something that’s been a big part of his life.
Before becoming the artist fans know now, Chase was actually a linebacker for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Football wasn’t just an interest — it was his world. And even after his shift into country music, the sport has stayed close to his heart. He’s talked openly about how much he loves the Tar Heels and how deeply he connected with the program during his five years there. But his childhood roots run through Florida, where he grew up cheering for the Gators long before his college career began. So when he jokes about choosing between the two, it comes from a very real place of nostalgia.
Of course, music became his next chapter — one that launched when he started writing with friends Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line. Together, they created “Cruise,” which completely reshaped the country-pop landscape and helped propel him forward as an artist.
Now, after years of recording, traveling, and performing, Chase is giving himself the space to step back, catch his breath, and maybe reconnect with the parts of his life that came long before the spotlight. Whether he’ll actually suit up for college football again is clearly all in good fun, but the sentiment behind the joke says a lot about where his heart still is.
For fans, this break isn’t a goodbye — just a pause. And if anything, it might set the stage for an even stronger comeback.
Read More:
0 Comments