Can Texas Tech Deliver When It Matters Most?

ESPN college football insider Adam Rittenberg included Texas Tech among the “most pressure-packed” programs for 2025 in his latest Impatience Index.

Texas Tech joins an elite tier of schools under intense scrutiny due to high investment, rapid expectations, and little margin for error.

Rittenberg points out that, unlike LSU, Oklahoma, or Miami, Texas Tech does not carry a long-term pedigree. Its legacy includes only one outright conference title since 1955, no AP Top‑10 finishes in program history, and just a single 10‑win season since 1976. The Red Raiders last earned a league championship three decades ago in the old Southwest Conference.

Still, 2025 marks a shift. Deep-pocketed super boosters, led by Cody Campbell, have poured capital into NIL and recruiting, fueling audacious aspirations for the program. With bigger investment comes diminished patience, Rittenberg notes, and stakeholders expect results soon.

Head coach Joey McGuire led a transformative offseason. Texas Tech landed ESPN’s No. 2-rated transfer portal class, adding reinforcements like UCF’s Lee Hunter, Stanford’s David Bailey, Georgia Tech’s Romello Height, and North Carolina’s Howard Sampson. ESPN’s analysts ranked Tech just behind LSU for postseason haul quality.

“This year, we need to be in AT&T in December,” McGuire told ESPN, referencing the Big 12 championship game as a last box to check. He also cited recent program success in softball, including a WCWS appearance led by Stanford transfer pitcher NiJaree Canady, as proof that Texas Tech can win at high levels in major college sports.

Players feel the urgency, too. Quarterback Behren Morton, entering his senior season and returning from shoulder surgery, stated plainly: “This is everyone’s last year. All the marbles are in the bag.” Depth and experience are on their side as the season begins.

Texas Tech enters the 2025 season fully invested and widely watched. With McGuire embracing the pressure, only one thing remains: delivering on the promise.