Cody Campbell calls for future of the Big 12 to follow the Texas Tech model

There's no question that every collegiate athletic department faces a plethora of challenges every day. Whether big, small, or medium, every athletic department faces a similar challenge each offseason: fundraising.

Nov 15, 2025; Lubbock, Texas, USA; A general view of a Texas Tech Red Raiders helmet on the bench in the first half of the game against the Central Florida Knights at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

LUBBOCK, Texas  — There's no question that every collegiate athletic department faces a plethora of challenges every day. Whether big, small, or medium, every athletic department faces a similar challenge each offseason: fundraising.

In the era of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), how much money an athletic department brings in every year is pivotal as part of its modern-day operation. Another key pillar is each department’s relationship with alumni willing to donate their hard-earned cash back into their alma mater.

In a quote obtained by Yahoo Sports, Ross Dellenger, former Texas Tech and Indianapolis Colts offensive lineman turned CEO of Double Eagle Energy Holdings and Chairman of the Board of Regents of the Texas Tech University System, Cody Campbell commented on how if other Big 12 athletic departments should follow the “path” Texas Tech followed to elevate their own athletic programs and rosters as the “future of the conference." This week, during a meeting with Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and Texas Tech officials at a steakhouse in Fort Worth, Ross Dellenger commented on how other Big 12 athletic departments could follow the “path” Texas Tech followed to elevate their own athletic programs and rosters as the “future of the conference.”

“We want to find a way to get all other Big 12 schools to elevate themselves,” read the quote obtained by Dellenger from Campbell on Big 12 schools having more money for roster construction. “Everybody needs to do some version of what we've done. That's the path forward for this conference. A rising tide lifts all boats.”

Texas Tech had the second-most-expensive roster in college football in 2025 last season. The Red Raiders lifted their first-ever Big 12 title and reached the semi-final of the College Football Playoff after finishing 12-2. The Red Raiders finished with a top 10 offense with the best defense in the country, in which the offseason prior, Tech brought in 21 total transfers via the portal, which propelled the Red Raiders to one of the best football seasons in university history.

And that's just football. Campbell, in his work in architecting the Red Raiders NIL Collective known as The Matador Club. Texas Tech has generated millions going to athletics each year, nearing billions since 2020 across all portions of the university. With that said, in an era where dollar signs are more crucial than ever in college athletics, the “rising tide” Campbell commented on is shoaling as the swash as more time goes on.

Last week, Baylor announced 2026 as its largest fundraising year in the school's 181-year history, with nearly $245 million in total to support all areas of the school, including athletics. Just last fall, Kansas received a $300 million boost from longtime donor and alumnus David Booth solely toward the athletic program.

In short, the wave is starting to build as more money is put into athletic programs, not just in the Big 12 but across the country.

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