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Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell, who serves as chairman of the school’s board of trustees, got into a social media spat with Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark over a Red Raiders football game that will likely be played Friday night during the upcoming season.
This may seem like a trivial battle over the game schedule, but Campbell, who has become one of college sports’ most prominent promoters, posted on X that the Texas Tech-Houston game should remain as scheduled on Saturday, September 19.
For what? Campbell argued that “Friday Night Lights” in Texas were “sacred” to high school football.
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Cody Campbell stands backstage at ESPN’s College GameDay at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas on November 8, 2025. (John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
“Friday night lights are sacred in the great state of Texas! It is absolutely absurd that the @Big12Conference and @FOXSports would consider scheduling @TexasTechFB and @UHCougarFB on a Friday night (Oct. 18)!! I know @brettyormark isn’t a native Texan, but he’s been here long enough to know better! Come on, man!” Campbell posted, although it should say September – not October 18.
Yormark was asked about Campbell’s tweet, telling the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal on Wednesday that “Cody Campbell does not run the Big 12.”
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Yormark added that the league’s board of directors and athletic directors approved that 12 games per year not be played on Saturdays in order to increase viewership for the Big 12. As a result, a Texas Tech game had to be one of them due to their position in college football.
“Big 12 Friday Night Football games outperformed the Conference average rating by 64% in 2025,” Yormark added. “All of our schools are treated equally during the television programming process and this game fits within our programming parameters. I am grateful that our TV partners are providing us with these opportunities.”
However, Campbell continued to fire back at Yormark, posting another tweet on Thursday that added another hot topic for Red Raiders football – their now-banned tortilla celebration.
The Big 12 banned the tortilla toss celebration at Jones AT&T Stadium, threatening fines against the university if fans continued to do so.
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark gestures before the Big 12 Championship game between Texas Tech and BYU at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on December 6, 2025. (John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
“Apparently Brett didn’t get the memo: EVERYTHING GOES THROUGH LUBBOCK!!,” Campbell tweeted, referencing a famous line from head coach Joey McGuire, who was caught saying it in the locker room after a 2022 win over Texas. “Maybe we should bring back the tortillas??”
Campbell spoke with ESPN about Yormark, where he continued to punch him.
“As a commissioner, he has to remember that he works for presidents and presidents work for boards,” Campbell told the outlet. “He is not the dictator of the conference. That is not his role. It is his responsibility to defend the interests of its members in all cases.”
Campbell told the Avalanche-Journal he thought it was too late to change Texas Tech’s game against Houston, adding that it wouldn’t be good for the team considering their previous game was a trip to Oregon State on Sept. 12.
Cody Campbell stands on the field after the Big 12 championship game between Texas Tech and BYU at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on December 6, 2025. (John E. Moore III)
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Campbell hasn’t been shy about his mindset in college sports, especially when it comes to media rights. He advocated for conferences to combine their rights into a single entity, such as a professional sports league, although he saw serious resistance on that front. He also participated in President Donald Trump’s “Saving College Sports” roundtable, which took place at the White House on March 6.
Campbell is a former Texas Tech offensive lineman who is responsible for co-founding the Matador Club, the NIL collective that led the overhaul of Texas Tech athletics in hopes of making it an all-sports powerhouse.
