Texas Tech’s first loss of the season landed hard enough on its own. For Cody Campbell, it hit with extra force.
The Red Raiders, one of the few unbeaten teams going into the week, saw their margin for error narrow in the race for the College Football Playoff after falling to Cincinnati. And with the offseason tension between the two programs still hanging around, the blowout loss clearly struck a nerve with Texas Tech’s biggest backer.
Campbell, the school’s mega-booster, wasted no time voicing his frustration after Saturday’s result. Posting on social media, he wrote, "There is no excuse or reason to lose a game like this," Campbell said. "We have to be better."
There is no excuse or reason to lose a game like this. We have to be better. @TexasTechFB
- Cody Campbell (@CodyC64) October 24, 2026
That message came against a backdrop of growing pressure around Texas Tech’s playoff path. The loss does more than blemish the record; it shrinks the room left for error, especially with multiple undefeated teams sitting near the top of the Big 12.
Campbell’s reaction also makes sense given his role in the program. He played offensive line at Texas Tech from 2001-04, spent a brief season in the NFL, and later built his wealth in the oil business after founding Double Eagle Energy Holdings. That success made him Texas Tech’s primary power booster, and his money has helped the Red Raiders become major players in the transfer portal through NIL deals.
The Cincinnati angle goes deeper than one bad Saturday, though. Campbell’s irritation traces back to the Brendan Sorsby situation from the offseason. Texas Tech brought Sorsby in from Cincinnati through the transfer portal, but his involvement in a gambling scandal ultimately led to him leaving the program.
The dispute escalated when Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield publicly accused Texas Tech of illegally recruiting Sorsby before he entered the portal. According to Sportico, Campbell then texted Big 12 Brett Yormark a message directed at Satterfield: "In the spirit of not publicly airing 'family disputes,' somebody should inform Coach Satterfield that Texas Tech has gone out of its way to not drag Cincinnati on the Sorsby deal," Sportico reported Campbell texted Yormark.
"We have plenty of receipts, and he wants no part of it... This is not a fight he should start."
Campbell later kept the storyline alive after the season started, using Texas Tech’s docu-series "The Program" to take another shot at the way the Sorsby matter had played out.
"Looking back on it, I know that Texas Tech and I handled everything with integrity, and we did things the right way," Campbell said. "I think this is something that could have been handled much more privately.
We're not going to forget about that, and I don't think they'll forget about it either when we're up by 40 and still throwing the ball in the fourth quarter. That's where the retribution will come."
In Other News...
Texas Tech Has A Stake In The Big 12's Next Decision
After Cincinnatis upset win over Texas Tech, the postgame scene at Nippert Stadium quickly became part of the story as fans poured onto the field. Now the Big 12 is reviewing whether the Bearcats should be hit with a $50,000 fine under its field-storming policy, a familiar conference issue whenever a home crowd rushes the turf after a big win.
For Texas Tech, the result on the scoreboard is already in the books, but the leagues next decision still matters because it will examine whether security created a safe path for the visiting team and officials through the chaos. The Big 12 usually moves quickly on these situations, so a ruling should come within days, and Tech has a clear interest in how the conference judges what happened after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Cody Campbells Texas Tech Blast Says Everything About New Expectations
Texas Techs first loss of the season brought a jolt that went beyond the scoreboard, with the Red Raiders falling 37-24 to Cincinnati after opening 6-0 and climbing to No. 8 in the rankings. The defeat was the kind that tends to reset the tone around a program in a hurry, especially for a team that has spent the fall building belief and drawing attention with its early surge.
Cody Campbells reaction on social media underscored just how much those expectations have changed. The former Red Raiders player and major donor made clear he saw no excuse for the outcome and wanted better from a team that has benefited from significant investment, a reminder that Texas Tech is no longer being viewed through the old lens of simply being happy to contend. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Techs QB Problem Just Changed The Big 12 Picture
The loss to Cincinnati did more than ding Texas Tech in the standings, it exposed just how fragile the Red Raiders offense can look when the quarterback situation is unsettled. Will Hammond threw for 227 yards, but the night also included an interception and a fumble, and too many drives stalled once Texas Tech got near the red zone. Against a Cincinnati team adjusting to its own quarterback situation, the Red Raiders still could not take advantage of the moment.
Defensively, Texas Tech had its own trouble getting the game under control, giving up 257 rushing yards and watching Cole Tabb pile up 173 of them. The larger Big 12 ripple comes from how quickly a single absence can reshape a matchup, with Brendan Sorsby sidelined by eligibility issues tied to gambling allegations and the door opening for a different kind of game than many expected. For Texas Tech, the result was a reminder that the path in this league can change fast, and not always in the way a playoff hopeful wants. [Read more 🡒]