Cody Campbell wants the Big 12 to take a page from Texas Tech’s playbook.
Speaking during a meeting this week with Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and Texas Tech officials at a steakhouse in Fort Worth, the former Texas Tech and Indianapolis Colts offensive lineman - now CEO of Double Eagle Energy Holdings and chairman of the Board of Regents of the Texas Tech University System - said other league schools should follow the route Tech has taken to build its programs and rosters.
“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.”
That message comes with Texas Tech’s recent success as the backdrop. The Red Raiders had the second-most-expensive roster in college football in 2025, then turned that investment into a 12-2 season, the program’s first Big 12 title and a run to the College Football Playoff semifinals. Tech also brought in 21 total transfers through the portal the offseason before that breakthrough year, helping fuel a season that included a top-10 offense and the best defense in the country.
Campbell has also been central to Texas Tech’s NIL push through The Matador Club, the Red Raiders’ collective. The school has generated millions for athletics each year and nearly billions across the university since 2020.
The broader point, though, is that Texas Tech is not alone in seeing major money flow toward athletics. Baylor announced last week that 2026 will be its largest fundraising year in the school’s 181-year history, with nearly $245 million raised across the university, including athletics. Kansas also got a major lift last fall when longtime donor and alumnus David Booth gave $300 million exclusively to the athletic program.
The money race is only getting bigger, and Campbell’s view is clear: the Big 12’s future should look a lot more like Texas Tech’s.