Main Reasons why the SEC needs to Extend an Invitation to Texas Tech
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There are multiple reasons why the SEC should add Texas Tech, as the Protect College Sports Act is on the verge of becoming law later this year.
College athletics is a constantly changing environment, and with major power conferences looking to solidify their dominance, adding a school like Texas Tech makes a compelling argument.
During the last phases of conference realignment, when there were five power conferences, adding Texas Tech was not necessarily in the SEC's best interests at that time. Back then, the major criteria to add teams were to be in a top twenty designated TV/streaming market, have high academic standing, and have a geographic footprint to add to the conference.
It had been written as far back as 2021 that Texas Tech joining the SEC was a remote possibility and that the Pac-12 was going to raid the Big 12 as they once did when they added Colorado. However, the Big 12 not only survived conference realignment but also almost completely dissolved the Pac-12 conference. Now with the Protect College Sports Act amendment from Florida Senator Moody, teams like Texas Tech could be on the move to the SEC, and here are some reasons why it would benefit the SEC.
The SEC has a giant presence in the Lone Star State already with Texas and Texas A&M, but adding the Red Raiders gives it a unique financial, competitive, and cultural boost. Texas Tech has arguably one of the top five leading financial commitments nationally for NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) and athletic facilities. As college sports move toward directly sharing revenue with athletes, schools with deep-pocketed booster networks are well positioned to meet the SEC’s “spend to win” standard.
Joining the SEC would instantly revive the historic, deeply ingrained state and regional rivalries with Texas and Texas A&M, plus natural border matchups with Arkansas and Oklahoma. In-state rivalries with Texas Tech draw huge television ratings, helping the overall value of the conference’s media rights. SEC fans would want to tune in and see the Longhorns and Aggies play the Red Raiders as opposed to them playing Kentucky and Vanderbilt.
The SEC motto is "It Just Means More." Their fanbase's passion aligns with the Texas Tech fanbase. Lubbock and West Texas have a die-hard, high-energy football culture that matches the SEC’s intensity and vibe. Texas Tech also has nationally competitive programs in men’s basketball, baseball, and track and field, in addition to football, which adds to the SEC’s depth of athletic talent overall.
Adding Texas Tech expands the SEC’s footprint deeper into West Texas and the Panhandle, locking in a committed regional media market that is heavily invested in college sports. People tend to forget that Texas is the second most populated state in the country, with approximately eight million more people than the state of Florida. The ACC added Cal and Stanford for a reason, with California being the most populated state in the country and other factors as well. Excluding UTEP, Texas Tech is the only school with a Division I football program west of Austin, representing the panhandle and West Texas. Adding the Red Raiders to the SEC makes sense.
In college basketball, Texas Tech men's basketball leads the nation in weighted social media engagement, according to athleticdirectoru.com. The softball program also has a huge following, and the women's basketball team continues to grow.
By bringing another major Texas program under the SEC umbrella, the conference protects itself from any potential recruiting or media expansion moves by other major leagues. The SEC, to its credit, is different from the Big Ten. The SEC doesn't require a new school to be an Association of American Universities member or to expand its geographic footprint to Florida or the Southeast, unlike the Big Ten, which may be looking to do so with its possible expansion. The SEC wants to add schools like Texas Tech for the reasons given here, and the conference should strongly consider adding the Red Raiders to its conference soon.
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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.