Former Texas Tech Lineman Trades Jabs With Big 12 Commissioner
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Former Texas Tech lineman turned booster Cody Campbell has been in a back-and-forth exchange with Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark.
Campbell took to X recently and shared his desire for an upcoming matchup on Friday, Oct. 18, between the Red Raiders and the Houston Cougars. The former offensive lineman took issue with the date, saying that Friday nights are "sacred" for high school football in Texas.
"Friday Night Lights are sacred in the Great State of Texas! It is absolutely absurd that the @Big12Conference and @FOXSports would consider scheduling @TexasTechFB and @UHCougarFB on a Friday night (October 18th)!! I know that @brettyormark is not a native Texan, but he's been here long enough to know better! Come on, man!"
Campbell didn't stop there. On Tuesday, the booster called out Yorkmark and continued to make his plea for a schedule change.
"I heard about it through the (Tech football) staff up here and our administration that it was being discussed," Campbell said. "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.
"We've got a road game the week before. It's not an ideal situation for us, and ... I think our conference should protect us more than they did."
On Wednesday, Yormark responded to Campbell and said that he "does not run the Big 12."
Campbell went on to say that Yormark is not the 'dictator of the conference.'
"As commissioner, he needs to remember that he works for the presidents, and the presidents work for the boards," Campbell told ESPN. "He is not the dictator of the conference. That's not his role. It is his responsibility to advocate for his members in all cases."
Yormark told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal that the conference’s board and athletic directors approved scheduling 12 games each year outside of Saturdays in an effort to boost Big 12 Conference viewership. He added that featuring the Red Raiders in a Friday night matchup would help accomplish that goal.
"Friday night Big 12 football games outperformed the Conference's average rating by 64% in 2025," Yormark said. "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."
Campbell is still not against the idea. He said he didn't believe it was in the schools' or leagues' best interest to play onthat night.
Who is Cody Campbell?
Campbell hails from Lubbock and played for the Red Raiders from 2001 to 2004. He went undrafted in the 2005 NFL Draft but signed with the Indianapolis Colts. He remained with the team until August 2006, but his career was cut short by a severe injury.
He is a billionaire oil-and-gas entrepreneur and a highly influential supporter of Texas Tech athletics. Campbell's name is honored at AT&T Stadium on the campus of Texas Tech University.
Campbell is the chairman of the Texas Tech System Board of Regents.
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Ricardo Sandoval is a Sports Writer for On SI based in Los Angeles, CA. Ricardo has been writing about a wide range of sports and was also an Associate Editor for Dodgers Nation. Ricardo was also a Contributing Sports Writer for Newsweek's Sports Section specializing in NBA, NFL and College coverage. He is a contributor for Texas Tech On SI.