On the Diamond
Texas Tech softball takes down Baylor 4-0 yesterday behind a 13 strikeouts from NiJaree Canady. Texas Tech advances in the Big 12 Conference Tournament and will take on Arizona State today at 3:00 p.m.
Texas Tech baseball hosts UCF this weekend with Sunday being the senior day for the program. First pitch tonight is at 6:00 p.m. with Mac Hueuer on the mound for Texas Tech.
On the Hardwood
Darrion Williams and Chance McMillian will participate in the NBA Draft Combine for Williams and NBA G League Elite Camp for McMillian. Show out!
On the Gridiron
Texas Tech football announced that they have sold out of season tickets, the third year in a row to do so.
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach has his top 25 and Texas Tech is at No. 16:
Key returning players: QB Behren Morton, WR Coy Eakin, WR Caleb Douglas, G Davion Carter, LB Ben Roberts, LB Jacob Rodriguez, S Chapman Lewis, CB Maurion Horn
Key transfer portal additions: DE David Bailey (Stanford), DE Romello Height (Georgia Tech), DL Lee Hunter (Central Florida), OT Howard Sampson (North Carolina), OT Will Jados (Miami of Ohio), WR Reggie Virgil (Miami of Ohio), TE Terrance Carter (Louisiana), DL Skyler Gill-Howard (Northern Illinois)
2025 outlook: Few teams were as active in the transfer portal as the Red Raiders, who put most of their attention (and money) on shoring up a defense that played terribly in 2024. Texas Tech surrendered 35 points or more in each of its five losses and ranked 122nd in the FBS in scoring defense (34.8 points) and next to last in pass defense (308.1 yards). Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire hired former Houston defensive coordinator Shiel Wood, who helped the Cougars improve from 112th in total defense in 2023 to 26th last season.
The Red Raiders signed several high-profile pass rushers, including Bailey, who had 14.5 sacks in three seasons at Stanford. At least three transfers are expected to start on the offensive line, and former USC running back Quinten Joyner will be in the mix to replace Tahj Brooks, who ran for 1,505 yards in 2024. Morton sat out preseason practices while recovering from December shoulder surgery; he recently started throwing again.
CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello & Richard Johnson on the new commission with Nick Saban and Cody Campbell and I think that Campbell probably has a better handle on the topic than Saban, who just cares about football. This is a good article to understand where they each stand on subjects, Campbell deeply cares about “Olympic sports” and every small program. This is Campbell:
“The top 40 most-viewed college football programs already hog 89.3 percent of TV eyeballs and 95 percent of media cash. Give the Autonomy Four (especially the Big Ten and SEC) a free antitrust hall pass, and they’ll build a super conference, a gilded monopoly that starves everyone else of the revenue needed to provide opportunity to more than 500,000 student athletes per year. Of 134 FBS schools, 90 or more could lose funding for Olympic sports, women’s teams, and even football itself (not to mention the FCS and Division II). Local towns could crumble. Smaller colleges would fade. College sports would shrink from a national treasure to an elite clique, and countless dreams would be crushed.
“This isn’t about left or right; it’s about right and wrong. The NCAA is broken, but handing the keys to a few fat cats is worse. America thrives on competition, not cozy cartels blessed by D.C.”
Saban has been on the record saying that the top 40 programs should be siphoned off from the rest of college football and I think that Campbell will do everything to avoid that.
An episode of The Brand for the spring is up and an episode of What’s Next with Joey McGuire. I haven’t had time to watch either (a soccer game for Yo last night).
