Red Raider Review

Holiday Wish No. 17 for Texas Tech Fans

As we are a third of the way to counting down to holiday wish No. 1 for Red Raider fans, here we look at wish No. 17 for Texas Tech fans this holiday season.
Ryan Kay|
Texas Tech fans hold signs supporting Jacob Rodriguez during the Big 12 Conference championship football game.
Texas Tech fans hold signs supporting Jacob Rodriguez during the Big 12 Conference championship football game. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Texas Tech Red Raiders

This holiday wish is unique because it discusses the effect of athletic department funding, especially for the football program, and whether it will continue at its current pace.

It is no secret why Texas Tech was able to secure the No. 1-ranked transfer class for football this offseason. NIL played a huge role in securing such a highly rated class.

Wish No. 17: Texas Tech is able to continue to be a top five NIL fundraising athletic department for the 2026 calendar year.

First, we have to look at how the Red Raider athletic department caught many by surprise with how they were able to create and maintain one of the top NIL fundraising programs in all of college athletics.

The Matador Club has done an excellent job of getting every Red Raider fan who is willing to donate to come together collectively.

Cody Campbell is a prominent figure and the main donor who has helped propel Texas Tech's athletic department's fundraising efforts.

Campbell was not the only person behind the fundraising for Texas Tech's NIL efforts, but he was by far the catalyst in helping the Red Raiders secure the No. 1 transfer class in all of college football this past offseason, as well as funding a large part of the NIL collective. It has been reported that Texas Tech spent seven million on their defensive line this year.

Then why is it still a wish for the Red Raiders to continue to be a top five NIL athletic department program if it appears that Texas Tech is already doing well? Other athletic programs are starting to catch up and fundraise at the same level as Texas Tech did last year.

For example, Michigan State received a huge donation to their athletic department, and they are not the only athletic department attempting to follow a similar playbook of Texas Tech for their NIL fundraising.

Three of the top spending NIL college football programs reside in the state of Texas.

SMU did something similar a season ago when it invested in its football program by moving to the ACC, which led to an appearance in the college football playoffs in 2024. The Red Raiders' NIL program is similar to that of Texas Tech, and they aim to maintain their momentum into next season, avoiding an 8-4 record like SMU's this season after their appearance in the college football playoffs the previous year.

The main objective and wish going into the offseason is for Texas Tech to be able to continue to have a top-five NIL program for their athletic department for 2026. To be clear, the athletic department has done an excellent job of supporting their student-athletes through their NIL program besides football.

The importance of enjoying the football team's run to a possible national championship is important for fans. However, it is human nature to contemplate the future and to not only maintain momentum but also to make sure that other programs don't surpass the Red Raiders in 2026.

Texas Tech opposes possible new rules hindering NIL collective growth.

Texas Tech is increasingly opposing the new set of NCAA rules that were discussed starting in June to enforce the terms of the House v. NCAA settlement. These rules include limits on revenue sharing, roster size, and new NIL restrictions.

Eric Bentley, the Texas Tech institution system's general counsel, sent out a letter that listed possible legal problems with the CSC deal and instructed the institution not to sign it.

The future of NIL for Texas Tech.

Texas Tech is in a fantastic position to stay a top-tier NIL program because donors and fans are continuing to donate and support the Red Raiders' NIL program. It is also adapting to the NCAA's revenue-sharing model and has a track record of recruiting and building competitive rosters. As a result, Texas Tech is expected to remain in the top 5 in 2026, as the athletic program consistently stays two steps ahead of most Division I athletic programs in this area.

There is a lot of competition, and the NIL environment is constantly changing, but Texas Tech has shown that it has what it takes to be a national leader in NIL and getting big time financial donations and contributions moving forward.

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Ryan Kay
RYAN KAY

Ryan Kay is a journalist who graduated from Michigan State in 2003 and is passionate about covering college sports and enjoys writing features and articles covering various collegiate teams. He has worked as an editor at Go Joe Bruin and has been a contributor for Longhorns Wire and Busting Brackets. He is a contributor for Texas Tech On SI.

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