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The Texas Tech football team opens Big 12 play against Houston in the third week of the 2026 season. That game will reportedly be moved from a Saturday to a Friday.
The change will have significant impacts on recruiting. The Red Raiders may not be able to host instate prospects competing in the high school football season.
Mega-booster Cody Campbell ripped conference commissioner Brett Yormark to begin a public feud. He pushed against the scheduling amendment for a number of reasons.
Texas Tech will open Big 12 football play on a Friday.
The Red Raiders were set to host Houston on September 19th. That game will reportedly move to September 18th as a way to boost television ratings.
“Our Board and our ADs approved playing 12 games a year off of Saturdays in an effort to raise the profile, narrative, and viewership of Big 12 Football,” said Yormark. “Texas Tech hosting a primetime game on Friday night delivers that.
“All of our schools are treated equally during the TV scheduling process and this game fits within our scheduling parameters. I am thankful that our TV partners provide us with these opportunities.”
The commissioner noted the uptick in viewership on Friday nights in the 2025 season. He says those contests outperformed the average Big 12 ratings by 64%.
Texas Tech did not play a Friday night game in the ’25 campaign. The Red Raiders went 12-2 to make a College Football Playoff appearance.
As a result, the program is viewed as a top brand. It is again expected to compete for a conference title in ’26.
For the Big 12, it’s a positive to have Texas Tech play in a standalone primetime slot. For the Red Raiders, there are drawbacks.
Cody Campbell was critical.
“Apparently Brett didn’t get the memo: EVERYTHING RUNS THROUGH LUBBOCK!! Maybe we should bring the tortillas back??”
He voiced his opposition to the change on social media. He is not the only college football coach that has done so.
Dabo Swinney previously rejected an ACC push to move a season-ending rivalry game with South Carolina to Black Friday. That decision drew major blowback from the league.
Campbell took a similar stance.
“I heard about it through the (Tech football) staff up here and our administration that it was being discussed,” Campbell told the Avalanche-Journal on Tuesday, March 31.
“They (TV partners) have the draft or whatever, and the conference doesn’t want to really acknowledge it, but they do have an ability to influence those decisions. They just chose not to because they were chasing ratings — which I do understand on one hand, but on the other hand, high school football is important in the state of Texas.”
High school football is bigger in Texas. This particular change impacts a pair of Lone Star State programs.
Brett Yormark does not care.
With prospects competing on the field for their high school programs, Texas Tech could be robbed of an opportunity to host recruits in the league opener.
Furthermore, Texas Tech will travel to the West Coast in Week 2 for a matchup at Oregon State. The Red Raiders will have a short turnaround following a long trip.
Campbell has pull when it comes to Texas Tech. The billionaire funded a large part of an expensive 2025 recruiting haul. Those efforts have continued into 2026. Despite Campbell’s efforts, the move appears to be a done deal.
“I think it’s done,” he said. “Unless they come back and they figure something else out. I think Yormark could have gone to bat for us and didn’t, because, again, he wanted the ratings… FOX is not concerned about any individual team. I think, again, they also want ratings, so they picked the game that’s going to give them the most viewership for that weekend.”
The move puts Texas Tech at a clear disadvantage in both competition and recruiting. Its opponent, Houston, will not leave the state of Texas until the last week of the month.
Campbell does not believe Yormark cares about the negatives. He’s prioritizing TV ratings over the “best interest of the kids (and) program.” The commissioner bit back to the booster’s criticism this week.
“Cody Campbell does not run the Big 12.”
-Brett Yormark
With all of that being said, the Red Raiders will have the opportunity to benefit from the exposure. All eyes should be on Texas Tech when it faces the Cougars in Week 3. A strong performance would go a long way in CFP pursuits.