Large 12's Yormark, Texas Tech booster bicker over Friday video games – ESPN

A West Texas-style showdown is taking form within the Large 12 between distinguished Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell, the chairman of the college’s board of regents, and league commissioner Brett Yormark.
Campbell lately posted on X that the Oct. 18 soccer sport between the Red Raiders and Houston is anticipated to be a Friday night time sport on FOX, taking challenge with enjoying on an evening Campbell mentioned was “sacred” for highschool soccer.
“Friday Night time Lights are sacred within the Nice State of Texas! It’s completely absurd that the @Big12Conference and @FOXSports would contemplate scheduling @TexasTechFB and @UHCougarFB on a Friday night time (October 18th)!! I do know that @brettyormark isn’t a local Texan, however he is been right here lengthy sufficient to know higher! Come on, man!”
In response, Yormark told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal on Wednesday that “Cody Campbell doesn’t run the Large 12.”
Campbell poured extra gas on the fireplace with one other social media submit early Thursday morning, pushing again on a hot-button matter for Texas Tech followers, when the Large 12 banned their tortilla-tossing celebrations at Jones’ AT&T Stadium, with Texas Tech finally asking fans to stop in the face of large fines threatened by the league.
He additionally repeated a phrase as soon as caught in a locker room speech by head coach Joey McGuire after the Crimson Raiders beat Texas in 2022, and which now adorns a wall contained in the Texas Tech soccer facility.
“Apparently Brett did not get the memo: EVERYTHING RUNS THROUGH LUBBOCK!!,” Campbell wrote on X. “Possibly we must always convey the tortillas again??”
Campbell wasn’t completed. He later advised ESPN that Yormark’s job was to not be “the dictator of the convention.”
“As commissioner, he must do not forget that he works for the Presidents, and the Presidents work for the Boards,” Campbell advised ESPN. “He’s not the dictator of the convention. That is not his function. It’s his duty to advocate for his members in all instances.”
Yormark’s assertion to the newspaper mentioned that the league’s board and athletic administrators had permitted 12 video games a yr that weren’t on Saturdays to lift Large 12 viewership, and {that a} Texas Tech sport in primetime would ship that.
Over the previous 5 seasons, not counting the Friday after Thanksgiving, which frequently options faculty soccer video games, Houston has performed 5 Friday night time video games and TCU has performed 4. Texas Tech has not performed a daily season Friday sport outdoors of Black Friday. Final yr, the Crimson Raiders and Iowa State had been the one Large 12 groups to not play on a Friday night time.
“Friday night time Large 12 soccer video games outperformed the Convention’s common ranking by 64% in 2025,” Yormark mentioned. “All of our colleges are handled equally throughout the TV scheduling course of and this sport suits inside our scheduling parameters. I’m grateful that our TV companions present us with these alternatives.”
TV home windows for league video games haven’t been introduced but, however Campbell advised the newspaper he has heard this sport was slated that date however he believes it’s too late to alter. He mentioned he didn’t consider it is within the faculty’s — or the league’s — greatest curiosity for Texas Tech to play on that night time, notably after enjoying Oregon State in Corvallis on the earlier Saturday and coming back from an extended journey.
“I believe Yormark might have gone to bat for us and did not, as a result of, once more, he needed the rankings,” Campbell mentioned. “I believe FOX isn’t involved about any particular person workforce. I believe, once more, additionally they need rankings, in order that they picked the sport that is going to present them probably the most viewership for that weekend.”
Campbell has turn into an outspoken voice on faculty sports activities, together with pushing for change in a collection of nationwide tv commercials and was a part of President Donald Trump’s “Saving College Sports” roundtable on the White Home on Mar. 6.
A former Texas Tech offensive lineman below Mike Leach, he’s a billionaire oilman who co-founded the Matador Membership, the collective that has spent massive with a aim on making Texas Tech athletics powers throughout all sports activities. Campbell’s title adorns the sphere at Jones AT&T Stadium on the campus of Texas Tech.
Campbell has a son, Carson, who performs for All Saints Episcopal in Price and is taken into account one of many high offensive line recruits for the state within the class of 2029.

source