Pat McAfee Says Texas Tech Should Join the SEC, and Fans Disagree
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The No. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders finished their regular season 11-1 with a win over the West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday, Nov. 29, improving to 8-1 in conference play. The Red Raiders dominated the Big 12 all season, with a scoring margin of +244.
Tech will face off with the No. 11 BYU Cougars in the Big 12 Championship Game, a rematch of Week 11's game at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. This time, the two sides will face off at a neutral site, AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as the Cougars try to avenge their 29-7 loss.
With Tech's surge to the top of the Big 12, there has been a lot of commotion about what led them to this point. Texas Tech's players and coaches have faced constant criticism and questions about their heavy offseason spending, but ESPN's Pat McAfee had a different thought about the result of the Red Raiders' 2025 season on his show, "The Pat McAfee Show."
"That's a good football team," McAfee said on his show on Monday, Dec. 1. "They need, I think, to get out of the Big 12. I think Texas Tech … they feel right, West Texas, but if you really zoom out and move over, you can say they're a part of the southeastern part of the United States of America."
Texas Tech is a good football team
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 1, 2025
That's a GOOD football team #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/FQCcXHJYrD
McAfee continued, this time more directly calling for Texas Tech to be a part of the SEC: "The fact that [Greg Sankey, commissioner of the SEC,] has not invited Texas Tech into the SEC is disgusting. … If you guys get invited to go over there [to the SEC], you should go on over there."
One of the most popular talking heads on ESPN, McAfee is well known for his loud personality and strong opinions. His monologue about Tech belonging in the SEC could have all been tongue-in-cheek, though, as he played college football for West Virginia and is a vocal fan of his alma mater.
The Mountaineers lost to the Red Raiders in Week 14, 49-0, and McAfee could be joking that he wants Tech out of the Big 12 as a result. His crew on "The Pat McAfee Show" seemed to be egging on this joke.
"How is BYU not in the Mountain West?" asked Connor Campbell.
McAfee replied, "I'm OK with BYU hanging in the Big 12, especially with some of the rumors," hinting at BYU head coach Kalani Sitake's reported interest from Penn State. "Texas Tech, we need them out of the Big 12," McAfee said.
McAfee has been very vocal about Tech's success in 2025. He was on set for ESPN's "College GameDay" in Lubbock on Nov. 8 when the Red Raiders hosted the Cougars in what was then a top-10 matchup.
"Everybody, I think they've heard the conversation, especially at the beginning of the year, about how, 'Oh, they paid for this, they paid for that, they paid for this' — they paid the right guys, is what they're going to say down there," McAfee said the next week on Nov. 15. "After experiencing Texas Tech last week and meeting the people that are behind their program, they're fully invested."
Texas Tech is the REAL DEAL
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 15, 2025
They LOVE FOOTBALL in Lubbock..
I think they're gonna be good for a LONG TIME#CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/lyEpXFAImM
However, not everyone responded in agreement with McAfee's claims that Texas Tech should be interested in the SEC, even if it was made partially in jest. Particularly, many Red Raiders fans seemed to rally in support for the Big 12, looking to build the conference up rather than pursue new opportunities.
"I think we should stay home and dominate for the next decade grow the big 12 while we do," said one fan in reply on X.
"Texas Tech is Big 12," said another fan. "Rather stay and grow the respect for the conference as a whole than jus leave once the success comes."
"Listen I appreciate the sentiment but I love Big 12 football man. We can get it back to its glory days," said another fan.
Listen I appreciate the sentiment but I love Big 12 football man. We can get it back to its glory days.
— Steely Phil 🌵 (@scubasteve028) December 2, 2025
The reactions came from many different angles; some said that conferences did not need to be any bigger, while others brought up Texas and Oklahoma's recent departures from the Big 12 for the SEC as a reason not to leave. "Grass isn't [always] greener," said one user.
McAfee was seemingly being a bit facetious with his claim that Texas Tech should leave for the SEC, but it was a sentiment expressed by fans earlier in the season.
Following the controversy with the Big 12 and its preseason rule changes — and the reaction to the tortilla-throwing incident against Kansas — there was some online frustration with the conference from Texas Tech fans.
However, it seems Tech's fans have love for their conference and want to see their team continue to build as a member of the Big 12. With head coach Joey McGuire's contract extension in place, the Red Raiders are ready to build toward the future.
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-43389ae7766a84cbb8a6c33939d17968.jpeg "Jordan Epp")
Jordan Epp is a journalist who graduated from Texas A&M in 2022 and is passionate about telling stories, sharing news, and finding ways to entertain people through the medium of sports. He has formerly worked as a writer and editor at The Battalion and The Eagle, covering football in College Station, Texas, and served as the managing editor for PFSN.
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