Okay, let’s talk about this. Let’s really dig into it, because what the hell is going on with the Big 12 right now? I mean, if this were a movie script, it would be titled *Friday Night Lights and Friday Night Fights* or something like that. But no, it’s real life — and it’s goddamn wild.
So here we are in the middle of what’s becoming a full-blown soap opera between Cody Campbell, the chairman of Texas Tech’s board of regents (and apparently the most powerful man in Lubbock), and Brett Yormark, the commissioner of the Big 12. And it all started because some game is supposed to be on a Friday night — Oct. 18, which, as Campbell says, is “sacred” for high school football in Texas. But now? Now we’re talking about who runs the conference, who’s the real boss, whether tortilla tossing should come back, and maybe even if Joey McGuire’s locker room speech was a warning that someone was going to get their ass kicked.
Let me break it down like I would at a bar with my buddy Steve — because if you’re not screaming into your beer right now, what the hell are you doing?
First off: Friday night football in Texas. It is sacred. It’s not just a game; it’s an event, a cultural phenomenon. If you’ve ever been to one of those high school games, you know that feeling — the smell of popcorn and grilled corn dogs, the lights coming on at dusk, the way the whole town seems to pause for 90 minutes or so. It’s not just about football; it’s about community, tradition, nostalgia. That’s Texas. And now, somehow, Cody Campbell is getting worked up that a college game — even one involving his beloved Red Raiders — might be scheduled on that same night.
But here’s the thing: College football games have long been on Friday nights. Hell, I remember going to Texas Tech-TCU back in the early 2000s, and that was always a Friday night game. It wasn’t like they were trying to “steal” from high school football; it was just how things worked. But now, somehow, this is a sacred cow that can’t be touched? And if you try to touch it, you’re the villain?
And then Brett Yormark comes in and says, “Hey, Cody, I’m not your boss.” Like that’s supposed to fix anything.
Let me think about what all of this looks like. It’s like a scene from *Goodfellas* where Henry Hill is trying to explain to his crew why he can’t just walk away from the life. Except here, it’s Cody Campbell — not a mobster, but a man who might as well be one with how much power he wields in Lubbock. And Yormark? He’s like the guy who’s trying to run the family business while everyone else is screaming about tradition and loyalty.
But let’s be real: This isn’t just about scheduling. It’s not just about Friday nights. It’s about control, it’s about respect, it’s about who has the final say in this conference that has been in chaos since the whole SEC expansion mess began.
And I’m telling you, if I were a fan of any Big 12 team right now, I’d be nervous as hell. Because what we’re seeing here is not just a scheduling dispute — it’s a power struggle. And when you start getting into that kind of territory in sports, things don’t end well.
Let me take a step back and think about the bigger picture. The Big 12 used to be this powerhouse conference, right? Back before they lost Oklahoma, Texas, and Nebraska to the SEC, it was like the NFL of college football. But now? It’s like the NFL of college football with the worst management in the league.
And Brett Yormark is their commissioner. The guy who took over from Bob Bowlsby — a man who once said “I would never consider scheduling on Friday nights” and then promptly scheduled games on Friday nights anyway — has now taken over, and he’s trying to push this whole prime time TV thing as the new standard.
But here’s the problem: Prime time doesn’t always mean ratings. I mean, last year, when they tried to get some of these Big 12 games on network TV or Fox, it was a disaster. The ratings were low, the viewership didn’t match up to what they hoped for, and suddenly, every team in the league was like, “Wait, why did we sign this deal?”
And now Yormark is trying to say that scheduling these games on Friday nights — even if some people are upset about it — will help ratings? But he’s not exactly selling that idea with a ton of confidence.
He says things like, “Friday night Big 12 football games outperformed the Conference’s average rating by 64% in 2025.” Wait, what? That can’t be right. Did someone just do some math on a napkin and then say it to the press?
Because if that’s true — if Friday nights are better for ratings than Saturday games — why is nobody scheduling them more often? Because if you’re trying to boost viewership, wouldn’t you want to play as many of these prime time games as possible?
But no, instead we have a situation where only five teams in the league played on Friday nights last year. And now, suddenly, one of those teams — Texas Tech — is getting worked up that they might be playing again this season.
And then there’s Cody Campbell, who’s not just some random guy yelling on social media. He’s the chairman of the board of regents for Texas Tech. That means he has a say in everything from how much money goes to athletics to which coaches get hired and fired. And now he’s out here telling Yormark that “everything runs through Lubbock.”
That line — “Everything runs through Lubbock” — is one that fans have heard before, right? It was said by Joey McGuire after the Red Raiders beat Texas in 2022. That game was a big deal because it was a huge upset and it was a massive moment for the program.
But now Campbell has taken that line and turned it into a rallying cry against Yormark — like he’s saying, “You think you can tell us how to run our football team? Think again.”
And I’m not even going to get into the tortilla tossing thing. Because that was already bad enough when Texas Tech fans were doing it after games — it was a tradition they had, and then the Big 12 came in like some kind of corporate overlord and said, “Nope, you can’t do that anymore.” And now Campbell is like, “Hey, maybe we should bring the tortillas back? Maybe Yormark needs to remember who’s really in charge here.”
I mean, this guy is playing every card he has. He’s trying to make it look like Yormark doesn’t respect Texas traditions, that he’s out of touch with what makes college football great — and he’s doing it in the most dramatic way possible.
But let me be honest: I don’t think Yormark is some kind of villain here. I mean, he’s not exactly a beloved figure in the conference, but he also has to make decisions that are tough for everyone involved.
Look, if you’re trying to grow the Big 12 — which has been losing money and losing relevance since the SEC expansion — then scheduling games on prime time is one of the only ways to get more viewers. And even though it’s controversial, it might be necessary.
But when you do that, you have to expect pushback from fans who feel like their traditions are being trampled over. Because in Texas, especially, Friday night football is sacred — and now they’re trying to make a college game fit into that same time slot?
It’s not just about scheduling; it’s about identity. It’s about how people see themselves as part of the state. And when you try to change something like that, even if it’s for ratings or money, you’re going to run into resistance.
And Cody Campbell is leading that charge. Because he knows what fans want — and he also knows that they’re not going to take kindly to someone from outside Texas trying to dictate their traditions.
So now we have this situation where the commissioner of the Big 12 is saying, “Hey, I’m not your boss,” and the chairman of a board of regents is saying, “Nope, you don’t get to tell us when we play.”
And honestly? It’s a mess. Because neither of them are wrong — but they’re both acting like the other is.
Let me just think about how this might play out. If Texas Tech fans are upset about playing on Friday night, what happens next? Do they protest? Do they stop showing up to games? Or do they just keep watching from home and waiting for things to change?
And if Yormark keeps pushing these prime time schedules — even if it’s not working — then he might end up alienating more fans across the league. Because if you’re a fan of Kansas or Oklahoma State, you don’t want your Friday night game moved to Wednesday because someone else wants to watch college football on TV.
And let me be real: I think this is just the beginning. Because what we’re seeing here isn’t just a scheduling dispute — it’s a power struggle that’s going to escalate as time goes on.
Because if Cody Campbell thinks he can just tell Yormark, “You don’t run this conference,” then others are going to start saying the same thing. And soon, we’ll have every board of regents in the league trying to take control from the commissioner — and that’s not a good look for anyone involved.
And honestly? I think the Big 12 is already doomed. Because if they can’t even agree on when to play their games, what are they going to do about all the other problems?
But here’s the thing: This whole mess isn’t just about scheduling or traditions. It’s about control — who has it, and how it’s used.
Because in sports, power is everything. And right now, Brett Yormark is trying to hold onto that power while Cody Campbell and others are trying to take it from him.
And I think we’re all going to be watching this play out over the next few years — because if there’s one thing I’ve learned about college football, it’s that nothing stays the same for long. And when things start breaking down like this? You know something big is coming.
So what do you think, Steve? Do you think Yormark can hold onto his job and keep pushing these prime time schedules?
Or are we about to see a full-blown rebellion from the teams that feel like they’re being treated unfairly?
I mean, I don’t even know. But one thing’s for sure: This is going to be interesting.
Because in sports, when you have a conflict between tradition and progress — especially in Texas — it doesn’t end well for anyone involved.
And right now? It looks like we’re just getting started.
