Prominent Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell and Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark were at odds this week over the concept of Friday night Big 12 games. And even though Yormark seemingly put Campbell in his place, the billionaire is now doubling down on his opinion.
The back-and-forth started on Monday when Campbell, who is one of the most powerful and influential boosters in college football, complained that Texas Tech’s home opener against Houston, which is currently scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19, was likely to be moved to a Friday night.
Campbell called the move “tone-deaf,” saying “Friday nights in Texas belong to high school football.”
“Friday Night Lights are sacred in the Great State of Texas!” Campbell wrote in a post on X, tagging Yormark directly. “I know that Brett Yormark is not a native Texan, but he’s been here long enough to know better!”
Yormark, however, was clearly unmoved by Campbell’s words, making it very clear that he would not differ from the billionaire booster on scheduling.
“Cody Campbell does not run the Big 12,” Yormark said in a statement. “Our board and our ADs approved playing 12 games a year off of Saturdays in an effort to raise the profile, narrative, and viewership of Big 12 football. Texas Tech hosting a primetime game on Friday night delivers that. Friday night Big 12 football games outperformed the conference’s average rating by 64% in 2025. All of our schools are treated equally during the TV scheduling process, and this game fits within our scheduling parameters.”
Campbell didn’t seem to take kindly to Yormark’s words, posting, “Apparently Brett didn’t get the memo: EVERYTHING RUNS THROUGH LUBBOCK!!”
On Friday, though, he gave a more thorough response, essentially doubling down on his argument and adding a few more points.
“1. I will re-iterate that Friday nights are sacred in Texas, and high school football is an integral part of our proud culture. It’s different here than it is in other states.
“2. Texas Tech’s alumni base is largely centered in the DFW area, which is 300+ miles from Lubbock. A Friday game puts enormous strain on their ability to attend the game.
” 3. Tech plays a late road game in Corvallis, Oregon prior Saturday -will arrive back in Lubbock at about 4am on Sunday. While we are technically inside the “window” that allows this game to be played, it’s only by a few hours, and will put significant strain on our team, staff – even the equipment managers,” Yorkmark wrote in a post on X.
Despite the back-and-forth, Campbell added that he and Yormark “are friends and have a good relationship,” though he wasn’t willing to budge on his argument.
“We work well together on many fronts, and Texas Tech is very committed to the Big 12. Brett and I have had our disagreements, but I like the guy and respect his hustle,” Campbell added. “However, I do stand by a quote I made: the Commissioners work for the Presidents, and the Presidents work for the Boards. The commissioners have not been vested with unilateral authority to do whatever they want. This is an issue throughout college athletics.”
Now, we will wait and see whether this receives the same sort of blunt response from Yormark.
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