140-847: Timothy James DeRuyter ( / d ə ˈ r uː t ər / də- ROO -tər ; born January 3, 1963) is an American football coach and former player who is currently the defensive coordinator at Texas Tech University . He previously served in the same capacity at the University of Oregon in 2021 and prior to that he was the associate head coach and defensive coordinator at the University of California, Berkeley from 2017 to 2020 and head coach at California State University, Fresno from 2012 to 2016. A native of Long Beach, California , DeRuyter attended St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower and graduated in 1981. He played college football at Air Force from 1982 to 1984. He lettered at outside linebacker and
280-551: A FieldTurf playing surface since 2006. Jones AT&T Stadium set an attendance record of 61,836 spectators November 2, 2013, when the Red Raiders hosted the 2013 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team , and the student attendance record was set during the same season. The student section has been named as the best in the Big 12 by ESPN . The stadium has played host to 14 seasons in which the Red Raiders went undefeated at home. In July 2014,
420-403: A halftime period, and the first and third quarters are followed by a short break. Before the game starts, the referee and each team's captain meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team can call either "heads" or "tails"; the winner of the toss chooses whether to receive or kick off the ball or which goal they wish to defend. They can defer their choice until the second half. Unless
560-510: A .200 winning percentage. Cawthon's .693 winning percent ranks as the highest among the coaches. Morgan, Weaver, Dykes, and Leach have each received Coach of the Year honors from at least one organization. Morgan was named Border Conference Coach of the Year in 1949. Twice—in 1951 and 1953—Weaver was named the Border Conference's Coach of the Year. Dykes was named Southwest Conference Coach of
700-401: A 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker,
840-525: A PAT attempt or successful field goal, the scoring team must kick the ball off to the other team. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled in the carrier's own end zone. Safeties are worth two points, which are awarded to the defense. In addition, the team that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick . Football games are played on a rectangular field that measures 120 yards (110 m) long and 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m) wide. Lines marked along
980-453: A field goal instead. A group of officials, the chain crew, keeps track of both the downs and the distance measurements. On television, a yellow line is electronically superimposed on the field to show the first down line to the viewing audience. There are two categories of kicks in football: scrimmage kicks, which can be executed by the offensive team on any down from behind or on the line of scrimmage, and free kicks. The free kicks are
1120-457: A group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they could now hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, in a game between Yale and Princeton, both teams used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records. Each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0–0 tie. This "block game" proved extremely unpopular with both teams' spectators and fans. A rule change
1260-533: A large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side. Football is a full-contact sport, and injuries are relatively common. Most injuries occur during training sessions, particularly ones that involve contact between players. To try to prevent injuries, players are required to wear
1400-408: A long circumference of 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (71 to 72 cm), and a short circumference of 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). In college and high school play the ball has a long axis of 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 inches (27.6 to 29.1 cm), a long circumference of 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (70 to 72 cm), and
1540-485: A majority of votes at their positions by the selectors, with the most recent selection being tight end Jace Amaro in 2013. Michael Crabtree was named as a consensus All-Americans in 2007 and 2008, and is the only Red Raider to receive the honor twice. Ten Red Raiders have been named academic All-Americans . The Red Raiders play their home games on campus at Jones AT&T Stadium. The stadium opened in 1947 as Clifford B. and Audrey Jones Stadium. In 2000, Jones Stadium
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#17328589705701680-420: A minimum of 10 feet (3.0 m) on high school fields. Goal posts are padded at the base, and orange ribbons are normally placed at the tip of each upright as indicators of wind strength and direction. The football itself is a prolate spheroid leather ball, similar to the balls used in rugby or Australian rules football . To contain the compressed air within it, a pig's bladder was commonly used before
1820-496: A modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association , although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp , now regarded as the "Father of American Football", secured rule changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum . While the game between Rutgers and Princeton
1960-474: A pass hits the ground without a player having caught it. A forward pass can be legally attempted only if the passer is behind the line of scrimmage; only one forward pass can be attempted per down. As in rugby, players can also pass the ball backwards at any point during a play. In the NFL, a down also ends immediately if the runner's helmet comes off. The offense is given a series of four plays, known as downs . If
2100-583: A player being paid to participate in a game of American football , although many athletic clubs in the 1880s offered indirect benefits, such as helping players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits, the game had a strict sense of amateurism at the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not prohibited outright. Over time, professional play became increasingly common, and with it came rising salaries and unpredictable player movement, as well as
2240-427: A quarter ends, play continues until the down is completed. If certain fouls are committed during play while time has expired, the quarter may be extended through an untimed down . Games last longer than their defined length due to play stoppages—the average NFL game lasts slightly over three hours. Time in a football game is measured by the game clock. An operator is responsible for starting, stopping and operating
2380-456: A rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense , the team with possession of the oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance the ball at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over
2520-494: A round ball. An 1875 Harvard–Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two Princeton athletes who were impressed by it. They introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to "selling refrigerators to Eskimos ". Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a form of rugby union rules with
2660-530: A score of 47–26 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Arkansas won the first nine games in the rivalry before Texas Tech broke through with a 21–16 victory in 1966. The Red Raiders also defeated the Razorbacks the following year, winning 31–27. After a 30–7 Texas Tech victory in 1976, Arkansas embarked on another nine-game winning streak, winning every year until 1986. Arkansas and Texas Tech played every year from 1957–1991, when
2800-436: A secondary signal. Women can serve as officials; Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female official in 2015. The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Another set of officials, the chain crew , are responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with
2940-403: A separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble a gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a reduction of the field size to 110 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (100.6 m × 48.8 m) and the adoption of a scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following
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#17328589705703080-577: A set of equipment. At a minimum players must wear a football helmet and a set of shoulder pads , but individual leagues may require additional padding such as thigh pads and guards, knee pads, chest protectors, and mouthguards . Most injuries occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the knee, but a significant number also affect the upper extremities. The most common types of injuries are strains , sprains , bruises , fractures , dislocations , and concussions . Texas Tech Red Raiders football The Texas Tech Red Raiders football program
3220-471: A seven-story building including 47 suites, a club seat level and new press box replaced the former press box constructed in 1959. In 2010, expansion to the east side of the stadium included a five-story addition that includes 1,000 general-admission seats, 542 club seats, 30 suites, a dining club, and pro shop . Also, ticket and athletic offices relocated to the East Side Building. In 2013, the stadium
3360-410: A short circumference of 20 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated by
3500-416: A touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage was instituted. Despite these new rules, football remained a violent sport. Dangerous mass-formations like the flying wedge resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish
3640-402: A wooden horseshoe shaped 12,000 seat stadium, was built on campus. Twenty-years later, Jones Stadium as was completed for the 1947 season . Two years prior to the stadium's opening, Clifford B. Jones , former Texas Tech University president , established a $ 100,000 trust toward construction for a new football stadium. The Texas Tech Board of Directors voted to name the new facility in honor of
3780-537: Is 25 percent larger than life. Today the Masked Rider, with guns up , leads the team onto the field for all home games. This mascot, adorned in a distinctive gaucho hat like the ones worn by members of the marching band, is one of the most visible figures at Texas Tech. Texas Tech's other mascot, Raider Red , is a more recent creation. Beginning with the 1971 football season, the Southwest Conference forbade
3920-570: Is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University (variously "TTU"). The team competes as a member of the Big 12 Conference , which is a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The program began in 1925 and has an overall winning record, including a total of 11 conference titles and one division title. On November 8, 2021, Joey McGuire
4060-460: Is a sport in which two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between Rutgers and Princeton , two college teams. They consisted of 25 players per team and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with
4200-531: Is as old as Texas Tech itself. The band performed at the team's first game in October 1925, fielding between 21 and 25 members. The following year, the band earned its name when it became the first collegiate band to travel to an away game. American humorist Will Rogers once aided in financing a trip to Fort Worth, Texas , so the band could perform at a game against the TCU Horned Frogs . Today, in keeping with
4340-425: Is called on the offense. There are two main ways the offense can advance the ball: running and passing . In a typical play, the center passes the ball backwards and between their legs to the quarterback in a process known as the snap . The quarterback then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball, or runs with it. The play ends when the player with the ball is tackled or goes out-of-bounds or
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4480-437: Is caught or recovered behind the line of scrimmage. If it is touched or recovered by the kicking team beyond this line, it becomes dead at the spot where it was touched. The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver's opportunity to catch the ball. The receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch , which prohibits the defense from blocking into or tackling the receiver. The play ends as soon as
4620-563: Is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in the United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865. The introduction of the snap resulted in an unexpected consequence. Before the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position. However,
4760-403: Is known as a two-point conversion . In general, the extra point is almost always successful, while the two-point conversion is a much riskier play with a higher probability of failure; accordingly, extra point attempts are far more common than two-point conversion attempts. A field goal (FG), worth three points, is scored when the ball is place kicked or drop kicked through the uprights and over
4900-407: Is responsible for all kicking plays. The special teams unit of the team in control of the ball tries to execute field goal (FG) attempts, punts , and kickoffs , while the opposing team's unit will aim to block or return them. Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), holder (H), and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job
5040-433: Is the 2022 TaxAct Texas Bowl . On December 28, 2022, the Red Raiders, led by head coach Joey McGuire, won 42–25 versus the former No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels led by coach Lane Kiffin. In 2012, Texas Tech introduced the creation of a ring of Honor to honor former Tech players. The names are etched onto the west stadium building that faces the surface of the stadium, screen by a selection committee that makes formal recommendation to
5180-421: Is to block members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside
5320-437: Is to snap the football to the holder, who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays are
5460-574: The 1996 season , the Chancellor's Spurs , a traveling trophy , has been exchanged between the two university system chancellors, in honor of the two universities' rivalry. It is common for Texas Tech students to camp out a few days prior to home football games against the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners . The 2008 game was one of three games that led to a three-way tie controversy in
5600-756: The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1997. The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial , and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff (CFP). A football game is played between two teams of 11 players each. Playing with more on the field is punishable by a penalty. Teams may substitute any number of their players between downs; this "platoon" system replaced the original system, which featured limited substitution rules, and has resulted in teams utilizing specialized offensive, defensive and special teams units. The number of players allowed on an active roster varies by league;
5740-584: The NCAA and the NAIA . The National Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world . Its championship game, the Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $ 18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in the world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but
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5880-687: The Sammy Baugh Trophy . Harrell received the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award . In 2003, Wes Welker won the Mosi Tatupu Award , given annually to the best special teams player. In 1935, Herschel Ramsey was the first football player from Texas Tech to be named an All-American. Since then, a total of 49 players have been named to an All-American team, 30 were selected as first-team All-Americans. Twelve Red Raiders have been named consensus All-Americans, players who were awarded
6020-412: The center (C), are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Interior offensive linemen are not allowed to move until the snap of the ball. The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks typically inform
6160-409: The commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to a league-suggested numbering scheme. Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women are eligible to play in high school, college, and professional football. No woman has ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college football games. In 2018, 1,100 of
6300-454: The defensive coordinator at Air Force from 2007 to 2009, DeRuyter replaced a bend-but-don't-break scheme with an aggressive 3–4 defense . In 2006, prior to his arrival, the Falcons ranked 78th in scoring defense and 78th in total defense. In 2009, the Falcons finished 10th in scoring defense and 11th in total defense. In the 2009 Armed Forces Bowl 47-20 win against Houston , the Falcons limited
6440-545: The forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified the size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of the features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered
6580-411: The kickoff , which starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal; the safety kick follows a safety. On a kickoff, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play. The ball may be drop kicked or place kicked. If a place kick is chosen, the ball can be placed on
6720-407: The neutral zone was created along the width of the football before the snap. Scoring was also adjusted: points awarded for field goals were reduced to three in 1909 and points for touchdowns were raised to six in 1912. Also in 1912, the field was shortened to 100 yards (91 m) long, two 10-yard-long (9.1 m) end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead of three to advance
6860-407: The punter (P), long snapper, upback , and gunner . The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR)—the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage, providing additional protection to
7000-464: The 15 games. From 1996–2010, Texas Tech won 15 straight games. Baylor then won 5 straight meetings. Baylor leads the series, 41–39–1. The winner of the annual game is presented with the Saddle Trophy, a traveling icon which bears plaques marking the score of each meeting between the rival schools. The teams have met on the gridiron in 63 games since 1926. The "West Texas Championship - Saddle Trophy"
7140-413: The 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it was no longer a championship game between two leagues and reverted to the NFL championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl . College football maintained a tradition of postseason bowl games . Each bowl game was associated with a particular conference and earning a spot in a bowl game was the reward for winning a conference. This arrangement
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#17328589705707280-531: The 2010 season. The 40 bowl game appearances by the Red Raiders tie the program at 20th in all-time in bowl games played and 31st in all-time bowl wins. Only 4 head coaches, E. Y. Freeland , Grady Higginbotham , Rex Dockery , and Jerry Moore , did not lead Texas Tech to a postseason bowl game. Although both Pete Cawthon and Dell Morgan had led the program to previous bowl games, neither posted wins in their five combined appearances. The Red Raiders' fans have set attendance records at 10 bowl games, including
7420-624: The 2012 and 2013 seasons. During the 2014 season, they were conference division champions after posting a 5–3 conference record. His 2015 and 2016 teams did not see the same success, as both teams posted losing records. He was fired by Fresno State on October 23, 2016, after starting the season 1–7 and 4–16 since playing in the Mountain West championship game in 2014. During his tenure, the Bulldogs were invited to three bowl games, but lost all three by at least 20 points each. On January 23, 2017, DeRuyter
7560-552: The 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth football were girls, and around 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football are female according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The role of the offensive unit is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a touchdown . The offensive team must line up in a legal formation before they can snap
7700-565: The Big 12 Conference South Division, the first three-way tie in a collegiate conference division. The Texas Longhorns lead the all-time series 54–18 and have won 20 of 26 games since the Chancellor's Spurs were first exchanged. After the 2022 contest where the Texas Longhorns team lost in overtime to the Red Raiders 37–34 in Lubbock, it is unknown if the rivalry will continue with the Longhorns move to
7840-507: The Big 12 Conference in 1996, Texas Tech has won 10, while Texas A&M has won 6, of these last 16 meetings. Texas A&M has a three-game winning streak against Texas Tech following their 2011 victory against Texas Tech in Lubbock. The rivalry has been dormant since Texas A&M departed the Big 12 for the SEC in 2012. The Texas A&M Aggies lead the all-time series 37–32–1. The two schools first met in 1957, with Arkansas defeating Texas Tech by
7980-596: The Masked Rider's identity is public knowledge, it has always been tradition that Raider Red's student alter ego is kept secret until the end of his or her tenure. The student serving as Raider Red is a member of the Saddle Tramps or High Riders. Ordered in terms of historical, active rivalries. The Texas Tech Red Raiders have played more games against the Baylor Bears than any other opponent. The rivalry began in 1929. The game has been played every year since 1956 despite
8120-466: The Matadors a "red raiding team", coining the moniker Texas Tech's athletics teams use today. Texas Tech's uniform consists of any combination of scarlet, black, and white. Since 2006, Under Armour has been the team's outfitter. In 2013, head coach Kliff Kingsbury was given creative control over the team's uniforms and equipment design via a contract clause. Starting in 2024, Adidas has taken over as
8260-508: The NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at the time was played at the collegiate level . The upstart NFL received a boost to its legitimacy in 1925, however, when an NFL team, the Pottsville Maroons , defeated a team of Notre Dame all-stars in an exhibition game . A greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to distinguish itself further from
8400-564: The NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in the FCS and 85 scholarship players in the FBS, respectively. Individual players in a football game must be designated with a uniform number between 1 and 99, though some teams may "retire" certain numbers , making them unavailable to players. NFL teams are required to number their players by a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by
8540-610: The New Mexico Lobos, Iowa State Cyclones, and Oklahoma Sooners. The 2013 team saw a great expansion of uniform combinations and designs coinciding with Kingsbury's creative control over the uniforms. In 2019, Texas Tech would wear the College Football 150 patch, a patch worn by every FBS program to recognize the invention of college football in 1869, above the Big 12 logo on all their uniforms worn that season. The Goin' Band from Raiderland, originally known as The Matador Band,
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#17328589705708680-566: The Red Raiders to their first bowl victory, defeating the Pacific Tigers 25–14 . The 2011 TicketCity Bowl occurred on January 1, 2011, when the Red Raiders won, 45–38, against the Northwestern Wildcats . The game was the team's 11th consecutive bowl appearance that began with the 2000 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl , in former head coach Mike Leach 's first season. In 10 seasons , Mike Leach's 9 bowl game appearances and five wins are
8820-515: The Red Raiders: Pete Cawthon , Dell Morgan , DeWitt Weaver , Steve Sloan , and Spike Dykes . Mike Leach is the only head Texas Tech football coach to win a division title. Dykes is the all-time leader in games and years coached, while Leach is the all-time leader in overall wins. Higginbotham is, in terms of winning percentage, the worst coach the Red Raiders have had; winning only one game while losing seven, and tying two, giving him
8960-472: The SEC in 2024. The Longhorns will host the Red Raiders for the final time as conference mates in 2023. Texas leads the series 54–18 through the 2022 season. Texas Tech first played the Aggies in 1927 and the teams played annually from 1957 to 2011. The Texas A&M–Texas Tech football rivalry has experienced multiple altercations off the playing field between coaches, players and fans. Since both teams joined
9100-423: The Southwest Conference, Texas Tech University was one of Houston's original rivals, playing every year from 1976 to 1995 when both schools were part of the now-defunct Southwest Conference. The two teams have had some very close games over their history that came down to the wire, with 16 out of the first 34 matchups being decided by single digits and a tie game in 1987. On September 4, 2021, the two met again to play
9240-653: The Texas Kickoff game at NRG Stadium. After the game, several fans broke out into a fight in the stands. With the Texas Longhorns leaving the Big XII for the SEC and the Houston Cougars joining the Big XII, Texas Tech and Houston will be the only two Texas public universities in the conference. Texas Tech also played the Houston Cougars in 2022 at Jones AT&T Stadium with the final score being 33–30 in double overtime, led by Donavan Smith who later transferred to Houston. Since
9380-550: The Year in 1989 and two other years. Dykes was also named the first Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year in 1996. In 2008, Leach was the second Texas Tech head coach to be named Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year. The same season, Leach was also named the FieldTurf/Howie Long Coach of the Year and was awarded the Woody Hayes Trophy and George Munger Award ; all three awards recognize the top collegiate coach of
9520-460: The advent of artificial rubber inside the leather outer shell to sustain crushing forces . At all levels of play, the football is inflated to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 psi (86 to 93 kPa), or just under one atmosphere, and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (400 to 430 g); beyond that, the exact dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (28 to 29 cm),
9660-456: The athletic department announced that all season tickets had sold out for the first time in school history with a record 38,502 tickets sold. In 2014, Texas Tech announced a substantially sized stadium renovation to Jones AT&T Stadium. The total cost of the renovations totals to roughly around $ 185 million, and will add new things to the Jones like club seating, more suites, and a hall of fame for
9800-521: The athletic director of suitable candidates. Seven members are listed, three of whom already had their numbers retired. Many of Texas Tech's players have been recognized for their accomplishments while with the program. Seven Red Raider players, Donny Anderson , Hub Bechtol , Byron Hanspard , E. J. Holub , Dave Parks , Gabriel Rivera , and Zach Thomas , have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame . Anderson, Holub, and Parks are
9940-466: The award's selection committee. Donny Anderson and Graham Harrell both finished fourth in the voting in 1965 and 2008, respectively, the highest ranking a Red Raider has received from voters. Additionally, Michael Crabtree , Byron Hanspard , E. J. Holub, Kliff Kingsbury, and B. J. Symons were Heisman candidates, receiving enough votes to finish in the top 10. Texas Tech football players have won several individual awards based on their positions. At
10080-550: The ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing the passer penalty was implemented in 1914, and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918. On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 (equivalent to $ 16,956 in 2023) to play a game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of
10220-435: The ball is caught, and the ball may not be advanced. Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their hat as
10360-430: The ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50–79 on the offensive line. Players can line up temporarily in a position whose eligibility is different from what their number permits as long as they report the change immediately to the referee, who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, except
10500-525: The campus' Spanish Renaissance architecture , the uniforms of the Goin' Band are styled after the trajes of matadors , complete with cape and a flat-brimmed " gaucho " hat. The 450-member band, which was awarded the Sudler Trophy – an award only allowed to be awarded once – in 1999, performs at all home football games and at various other events. The Masked Rider is Texas Tech University's oldest mascot, and
10640-573: The college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following the 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants , still referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played". The game, a 23–17 overtime victory by the Colts, was seen by millions of television viewers and had a major influence on the popularity of the sport. This, along with
10780-543: The conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. After playing McGill University using both American (known as "the Boston game ") for the first game and Canadian (rugby) rules for the second one, the Harvard players preferred the Canadian style of having only 11 men on the field, running the ball without having to be chased by an opponent, the forward pass, tackling, and using an oblong instead of
10920-541: The conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league. Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to professional football in the United States: official time was kept on a scoreboard clock rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did; optional two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several others, including expansion of
11060-413: The crossbars of the defense's goalposts. In practice, almost all field goal attempts are done via place kick. While drop kicks were common in the early days of the sport, the shape of modern footballs makes it difficult to reliably drop kick the ball. The last successful scoring play by drop kick in the NFL was accomplished in 2006; prior to that, the last successful drop kick had been made in 1941. After
11200-399: The defense is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or by forcing turnovers . Turnovers include interceptions (a defender catching a forward pass intended for the offense) and forced fumbles (taking possession of the ball from the ball-carrier). The defensive line (DL) consists of defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT). Defensive ends line up on
11340-430: The defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB). Linebackers tend to serve as the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays, given their vantage point of the offensive backfield. Their roles include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and tackling backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game. The defensive backfield , often called
11480-534: The end of the 1993 season, Bam Morris received the Doak Walker Award , and in 1996, Byron Hanspard became the second Red Raider to receive the award. Michael Crabtree became the first two-time winner of both the Fred Biletnikoff Award and Paul Warfield Trophy in back-to-back seasons. Four Texas Tech quarterbacks, Kliff Kingsbury, B.J. Symons, Graham Harrell, and Patrick Mahomes have been awarded
11620-472: The ends and sides of the field are known as the end lines and sidelines . Goal lines are marked 10 yards (9.1 m) inward from each end line. Weighted pylons are placed the sidelines on the inside corner of the intersections with the goal lines and end lines. White markings on the field identify the distance from the end zone. Inbound lines, or hash marks , are short parallel lines that mark off 1-yard (0.91 m) increments. Yard lines , which can run
11760-404: The ends of the line, while defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles are to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through. Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of
11900-567: The fact that Texas Tech was a member of the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. In 1960, Texas Tech joined the Southwest Conference, ensuring the rivalry would continue. In 1996, the Southwest Conference dissolved, and both teams were invited, along with the Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies, with former members of the Big Eight Conference to form the Big 12 Conference. From 1947–64, Baylor won 14 of
12040-499: The feet, hands, head, or sides, with the objective being to advance it into the opponent's goal. Rutgers won the game 6–4. Collegiate play continued for several years with games played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia , Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19, 1873, to create a standard set of rules for use by all schools. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from
12180-640: The first three way conference division tie . Texas Tech has competed as a member of three different conferences since 1925. The Red Raiders have won 11 conference championships, eight outright and three shared. † Co-championship The Red Raiders were previously members of the Big 12 between its inception in 1996 and the dissolution of conference divisions within the Big 12 in 2011. They won one division championship during that span, sharing it with Oklahoma and Texas in 2008. † Co-championship Texas Tech has had 17 head coaches, and three-interim head coaches. Five coaches have won conference championships with
12320-493: The football field, followed by the team. After a few moments, the silent crowd burst into cheers. Ed Danforth, a writer for the Atlanta Journal who witnessed the event, later wrote, "No team in any bowl game ever made a more sensational entrance." In 2000, The Masked Rider tradition was commemorated with the unveiling of a statue outside of the university's Frazier Alumni Pavilion. The sculpture, created by artist Grant Speed,
12460-416: The football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. American football evolved in the United States, originating from
12600-400: The former president and his wife's contribution. Since opening with a seating capacity of 18,000, the stadium has been continuously expanded and renovated. In 1960, the addition of a lower bowl doubled the seating capacity to 41,500, an expansion in 1972 added over 10,000 seats, during the 1990s, 2,000 seats were added, and additions in the 2000s brought a seating capacity to 60,454. In 2003,
12740-419: The game clock based on the direction of the appropriate official . A separate play clock is used to show the amount of time within which the offense must initiate a play. The play clock is set to 25 seconds after certain administrative stoppages in play and to 40 seconds when play is proceeding without such stoppages. If the offense fails to start a play before the play clock reads "00", a delay of game foul
12880-522: The game to overtime. In the 2006 game, the Gophers scored a field goal in overtime, but the Red Raiders responded with a touchdown to win. The 2013 National University Holiday Bowl occurred on December 30, 2013. This was Kliff Kingsbury 's first season as head coach at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders won, 37–23, against the Arizona State Sun Devils . The last, and only other, time these two teams met
13020-536: The game unless major changes were made. In response, 62 colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905. These proceedings resulted in the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906, although its effect
13160-443: The ground or a tee; a holder may be used in either case. On a safety kick, the kicking team kicks the ball from their own 20-yard line. They can punt, drop kick or place kick the ball, but a tee may not be used in professional play. Any member of the receiving team may catch or advance the ball. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it has gone at least ten yards and has touched the ground or has been touched by any member of
13300-434: The guards. The principal receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near the line of scrimmage, split outside the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers. The role of
13440-465: The heroes and champions of Texas Tech Football. The south-end zone is also getting a renovation, creating more student-section seating and a press box. Texas Tech's football team was originally known as the " Matadors " from 1925 to 1936, a name suggested by the wife of E. Y. Freeland , the first football coach, to reflect the Spanish Renaissance architecture on campus . The students followed
13580-539: The illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that was originally established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, aimed to solve these problems. This new league's stated goals included an end to bidding wars over players, prevention of the use of college players, and abolition of the practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922,
13720-554: The inclusion of live animal mascots to away games unless the host school consented. For situations where the host school did not want to allow the Masked Rider's horse, an alternate mascot was needed. Jim Gaspard, a member of the Saddle Tramps student spirit organization, created the original design for the Raider Red costume, basing it on a character created by cartoonist Dirk West , a Texas Tech alumnus and former Lubbock mayor. Though
13860-448: The innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become the most popular sport in the United States by the mid-1960s. The rival AFL arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL's dominance. The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC television network. The AFL's existence forced
14000-593: The interim head coach for the Meineke Car Care Bowl , leading the Aggies to a 33–22 victory over Northwestern . DeRuyter became the head coach of the Fresno State Bulldogs beginning the 2012 season. During the 2012 season, the Bulldogs team included standouts Derek Carr , Phillip Thomas , and Davante Adams . The Bulldogs were Mountain West conference champions after recording 7–1 conference records during
14140-524: The most held by a Border Conference member . In 1956, Texas Tech was admitted to the Southwest Conference (SWC), but was ineligible for any title during a four-year probationary period. It gained full SWC membership and began official conference play in 1960. The Red Raiders won conference co-championships in 1976 and 1994. The team remained in the SWC until the conference dissolved in 1996. The university
14280-517: The most of any of the program's head coaches . The 2012 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas occurred on December 28, 2012, when the Red Raiders won, 34–31, against the Minnesota Golden Gophers . The last time the two teams had met was during the 2006 Insight Bowl , in which Texas Tech completed the biggest comeback in bowl history. After falling behind 38–7 with 7:47 remaining in the third quarter, rallied to score 31 unanswered points to send
14420-414: The nation in tackles. During his tenure at Cal, DeRuyter was the primary defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2019, but shared the responsibility with Peter Sirmon in 2020. For their coaching during the 2019 season, DeRuyter and Sirmon were named Linebackers Coaches of the Year by FootballScoop. On January 22, 2021, DeRuyter was hired to be the defensive coordinator at Oregon. On December 8, 2021, DeRuyter
14560-409: The nation's second-ranked passing offense to a season-low of 222 passing yards. They also recorded six interceptions. DeRuyter became Texas A&M's defensive coordinator in 2010. The Aggies ranked 104th in scoring defense in 2009, under a 4–3 defense . In 2010, under his 3–4 defense, they improved to 21st in scoring defense. After Texas A&M fired head coach Mike Sherman in 2011, DeRuyter became
14700-429: The offense advances ten or more yards in the four downs, they are awarded a new set of four downs. If they fail to advance ten yards, possession of the football is turned over to the defense. In most situations, if the offense reaches their fourth down they will punt the ball to the other team, which forces them to begin their drive from farther down the field; if they are in field goal range , they might attempt to score
14840-480: The only three players at Texas Tech to have had their numbers retired. Two Red Raiders, Anderson in 1965 and Graham Harrell in 2008, have been named Sporting News College Football Player of the Year , which is bestowed upon the most outstanding college football player of that season by Sporting News . While no Texas Tech player has ever received the Heisman Trophy , seven Red Raiders have received votes by
14980-445: The plane of the two end lines. The crossbar of these posts is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with vertical uprights at the end of the crossbar 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart for professional and collegiate play, and 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) apart for high school play. The uprights extend vertically 35 feet (11 m) on professional fields, a minimum of 10 yards (9.1 m) on college fields, and
15120-448: The point(s)-after-touchdown (PAT) or conversion, which is a single scoring opportunity. This is generally attempted from the two- or three-yard line, depending on the level of play. If the PAT is scored by a place kick or drop kick through the goal posts, it is worth one point, typically called the extra point. If the PAT is scored by what would normally be a touchdown, it is worth two points; this
15260-541: The primary proponents of the rugby-style game, compromised and did not request the name of the sport be changed to "rugby". The terms " gridiron " or "American football" are favored in English-speaking countries where other types of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football,
15400-429: The primary variants of gridiron football . American football is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college football , with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. As of 2022 , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play the sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in
15540-422: The punter. In football, the winner is the team that has scored more points at the end of the game. There are multiple ways to score in a football game. The touchdown (TD), worth six points, is the most valuable scoring play in American football. A touchdown is scored when a live ball is advanced into, caught, or recovered in the opposing team's end zone. The scoring team then attempts a try, more commonly known as
15680-401: The receiving team. The three types of scrimmage kicks are place kicks, drop kicks, and punts. Only place kicks and drop kicks can score points. The place kick is the standard method used to score points, because the pointy shape of the football makes it difficult to reliably drop kick. Once the ball has been kicked from a scrimmage kick, it can be advanced by the kicking team only if it
15820-631: The rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and then hands the ball off, throws it, or runs with it. The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage or goal-line situations. They are seldom used as receivers. The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary function
15960-499: The role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players who had also been drafted by NFL teams. Competition for players heated up in 1965, when the AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then-record $ 437,000 contract (equivalent to $ 4.23 million in 2023). A five-year, $ 40 million NBC television contract followed, which helped to sustain
16100-466: The season. Kliff Kingsbury became the first Big 12 Conference coach to begin his career with 7 wins in 2013. Texas Tech has played in 40 postseason bowl games with an all-time record of 16 wins, 23 losses, and 1 tie. The Red Raiders rank third among current Big 12 Conference programs in bowl game appearances, and also boasted the distinction of being the only program in the conference to be bowl eligible every season from its formation in 1996 through
16240-503: The secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite a receiver to be able to cover them. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties tend to be viewed as "the last line of defense" and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as breakout running plays. The special teams unit
16380-539: The sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball ; the sport maintains a growing following in the rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In the United States, American football is referred to as "football". The term "football" was officially established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season , when the sport first shifted from soccer-style rules to rugby-style rules. Although it could easily have been called "rugby" at this point, Harvard, one of
16520-439: The sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp , the "Father of American Football", established the snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized
16660-571: The suggestion, and later chose scarlet and black as the school colors inspired by a matador's traditional red cape and black outfit. In 1934, head coach Pete Cawthon ordered scarlet satin uniforms for the football team. He said that if the team did not attract attention by their playing, they would at least be noticed because of the flashy uniforms. The football team, wearing its new outfit, defeated heavily favored Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles on October 26, 1934. A Los Angeles sports writer called
16800-533: The team won its first conference championship and was invited to the Sun Bowl . The game was played on January 1, 1938, and resulted in a 7–6 loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers . Texas Tech suffered four more bowl losses before their first postseason win in the 1952 Sun Bowl. Before withdrawing from the Border Conference in 1956, the Red Raiders won eight conference championships and one co-championship,
16940-447: The team's first bowl game appearance in the 1938 Sun Bowl. Although eight of the 10 attendance records were eventually broken, attendance records from 2 bowl game appearances, the 2004 Pacific Life Holiday Bowl and 2009 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic , remain unbroken. The 2009 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic's attendance record of 88,175 was the second-most attended bowl game of the 2008–09 bowl game season . Texas Tech's first bowl game
17080-556: The uniform partner of the Red Raiders. The 2010 team was the first to wear white helmets since 1974. The white helmets were similar in design to the ones worn during the Jim Carlen era from 1970–1974 featuring a one-inch scarlet stripe in the middle bordered by two half inch black stripes. The helmets used in 2010 feature a black face mask instead of scarlet and the current version of the Double T . The helmets were worn for away games against
17220-411: The width of the field, are marked every 5 yards (4.6 m). A one-yard-wide line is placed at each end of the field; this line is marked at the center of the two-yard line in professional play and at the three-yard line in college play. Numerals that display the distance from the closest goal line in yards are placed on both sides of the field every ten yards. Goalposts are located at the center of
17360-562: The wife of E. Y. Freeland , the first football coach, to reflect the influence of the Spanish Renaissance architecture on campus . In 1932, Texas Tech joined the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Conference , also known as the Border Conference. The school's short-lived Matadors moniker was replaced officially in 1937 with "Red Raiders", a nickname bestowed upon them by a sportswriter impressed by their bright scarlet uniforms that remains to this day. That same year,
17500-408: The winning team decides to defer, the losing team chooses the option the winning team did not select—to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half. Most teams choose to receive or defer, because choosing to kick the ball to start the game allows the other team to choose which goal to defend. Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters. If a down is in progress when
17640-408: The young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966 when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that took full effect in 1970. This agreement provided for a common draft that would take place each year, and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league. This championship game began play at the end of
17780-468: Was at the conclusion of the 1937 season, only 13 years after the program was established. The Red Raiders played in the 1938 Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas , against the West Virginia Mountaineers on New Year's Day. Nine of Texas Tech's 39 bowl game bids have been to the Sun Bowl , the most appearances by any team to the second-oldest college football bowl game. In the 1952 Sun Bowl , DeWitt Weaver coached
17920-471: Was first awarded, from 1961 through 1970. During this ten-year stretch, the schools split the series 5–5. The trophy was lost and the rivalry name disappeared for decades until the moniker and trophy were reintroduced in 2017. This football game is known as the West Texas Championship - Battle for the Saddle Trophy. Texas Tech leads the series 32–30–3 through the 2022 season. During the history of
18060-454: Was hired as the team's 17th head football coach, replacing Matt Wells , who was fired in the middle of the 2021 season. Home games are played at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas . Texas Tech (then known as Texas Technological College ) fielded its first intercollegiate football team during the 1925 season . The team was known as the " Matadors " from 1925 to 1936, a name suggested by
18200-405: Was hired to be defensive coordinator at Cal. Prior to his arrival, Cal's defense ranked 127th in scoring defense and 125th in total defense in 2016. The defense improved over his tenure; over the 2017–2020 seasons, Cal's scoring defense ranked 79th, 22nd, 33rd, and 48th, respectively. The total defense ranked 95th, 15th, 65th, and 38th. The 2019 Cal defense featured All-American Evan Weaver , who led
18340-406: Was hired to be the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Texas Tech University under head coach Joey McGuire . # denotes interim head coach # denotes interim head coach American football American football , referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football , is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on
18480-566: Was in 1999, in both teams' preseason opener despite both teams having been members of the Border Conference . In this Holiday Bowl meeting, the Red Raiders led the entire game, with the smallest lead of 7 points only lasting 11 seconds on the game clock, as Reginald Davis III returned a 90-yard kickoff for a touchdown, to answer the Sun Devils' Taylor Kelly's 44-yard touchdown run, early in the third quarter. Texas Tech's most recent bowl victory
18620-418: Was initially minimal due to the restrictions placed on its use. The idea of a 40-yard-wider field was opposed by Harvard due to the size of the new Harvard Stadium . Other rule changes introduced that year included the reduction of playing time from 70 to 60 minutes and an increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams,
18760-475: Was invited and became a charter member in the South Division of the Big 12 Conference . Texas Tech was the only member of the Big 12 to boast a winning record every year from the conference's formation in 1996 through end 2010. In 2003, Texas Tech was the only team to ever have 5 or more players with at least 60 receptions in a single season. In 2008, the Red Raiders were one of three football teams involved in
18900-440: Was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed a rule in 1882 that limited each team to three downs , or tackles, to advance the ball 5 yards (4.6 m). Failure to advance the ball the required distance within those three downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change effectively made American football
19040-429: Was once again renovated with 368 seats being added, an upgraded video board and sound system installed, a colonnade and connecting concourse in the north endzone, and a 40-person observation deck. When Jones AT&T Stadium opened in 1947, the playing surface was originally natural grass. However, at the beginning of the 1972 season, the stadium's natural grass was replaced with AstroTurf . Jones AT&T Stadium has had
19180-625: Was part of three bowl game victories. He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1985. His family is of Dutch descent. DeRuyter has a history of turning college football defenses around. Before his second arrival at Ohio in 2002, the Bobcats ranked 99th nationally; upon his departure to Nevada , the Bobcats ranked 22nd. At Nevada, the Wolfpack improved from 78th to 48th under his tutelage. He also spent time at Navy. As
19320-542: Was profitable, but it tended to prevent the two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normally be committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since 1992 to determine a national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition , in place from 1992 to 1994. This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance , which gave way to
19460-501: Was renamed, Jones SBC Stadium, in recognition of a $ 30 million donation from SBC Communications . Reflecting SBC Communications' rebranding as AT&T, Inc. , the stadium's name was renamed in 2005 as Jones AT&T Stadium. Then known as the Matadors, Texas Tech's first home field was a makeshift stadium at the South Plains Fairgrounds in Lubbock, for the 1925 season and first game of the 1926 season. In 1926, Tech Stadium,
19600-478: Was the first official mounted mascot in the country. The tradition began in 1936, when "ghost riders" were dared to circle the field prior to home football games. The Masked Rider became an official mascot in 1954, when Joe Kirk Fulton led the team onto the field at the Gator Bowl . According to reports from those present at the game, the crowd sat in stunned silence as they watched Fulton and his horse Blackie rush onto
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