| Texas Tech Red Raiders | |
 | |
| University | Texas Tech University |
|---|---|
| Conference | Big 12 |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletics director | Gerald Myers |
| Location | Lubbock, TX |
| Varsity teams | 15 |
| Football stadium | Jones AT&T Stadium |
| Basketball arena | United Spirit Arena |
| Baseball stadium | Dan Law Field |
| Mascot | The Masked Rider & Raider Red |
| Nickname | Red Raiders |
| Fight song | Fight Raiders, Fight |
| Colors | Scarlet and Black
|
| Homepage | www.redraiders.com |
Texas Tech Red Raiders is the name given to the sports teams of Texas Tech University. The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, all other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 15 varsity teams in ten sports.
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Athletics
Texas Tech has teams in these varsity sports:
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Basketball
Bob Knight has served as the men's basketball coach since 2001. On New Year's Day 2007, a 70-68 defeat of New Mexico by Tech marked the 880th total win for Knight, making him the winningest coach in men's college basketball history. Knight also has several other distinctions, including being the only coach to win the NCAA, the NIT, the Olympic Gold, and the Pan-Am Gold, and has been given several awards.
Of the varsity sports, Texas Tech has had its greatest success in women's basketball. Led by its star player Sheryl Swoopes and head coach Marsha Sharp, the Lady Raiders won the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship in 1993. In early 2006, Lady Raiders coach Marsha Sharp resigned and was replaced on March 30, 2006 by Kristy Curry, who had been coaching at Purdue.
Football
Texas Tech played its first intercollegiate football game on October 3, 1925. The contest, against McMurry University, ended in a controversial 0-0 tie.[1] The team has the distinction of being the only one in the Big 12 to have a winning season each year since the conference was created in 1996.[2] In July 2007, ESPN ranked all 119 FBS (formerly 1-A) football programs on performance from 1997-2006 and placed Texas Tech at number 32.[3] Also, with 12, the Red Raiders rank fifth nationally in consecutive winning seasons, trailing only Florida State (30), Michigan (22), Florida (19), and Virginia Tech (14).[4] Described as a program on the rise, the Red Raiders earned 56 wins from the 2000 through the 2006 season. During the same period, only three other Big 12 teams had more victories—Oklahoma, Texas, and Nebraska. [5]
Baseball
Texas Tech's baseball team is coached by Larry Hays. During the 1990s, Tech players drew notice from 17 big league organizations. Two Red Raiders were selected in the second round, one each in the third, fourth, and fifth rounds. As of 2002, 16 former Tech players have appeared in Major League Baseball.[6]
Golf
2007 saw the men's golf team compete in it's first back-to-back National Championship tournaments since 1960. The team, coached by Greg Sands, qualified for the tournament after finishing 7th in NCAA Central Regional.[7]
Polo
The Polo Club team is coached by Clyde Waddell. In spite of having no previous experience, at the invitation of students, he took the job in 2000. Six year later, the team beat in-state rival Texas A&M to win the United States Polo Association National Intercollegiate Championship.[8]
Track and field
Texas Tech's track and field teams are coached by Wes Kittley. Under his leadership, the program has reached new heights. For the 2005 Outdoor National Championships, Tech sent 31 athletes, more than any other school in the country. From 1990 to 2006, the men's team garnered 91 All-America awards, 20 Big 12 championships, and one national title. In the same time period, the women's team won 32 All-America awards, 29 Big 12 championships, and five national titles. In 2007, the women had another strong showing behind Sally Kipyego, who won four individual national titles (cross country, indoor 3k and 5k, outdoor 10k) and placed second in her bid for an unprecedented fifth title in one academic year (outdoor 5k).
Tennis
Tim Siegel has been coaching at Tech for 15 years, helping the men's tennis team to numerous winning seasons. He has coached players who are now college coaches themselves.[9]
Other
Additionally, the university offers other sports such as rugby, lacrosse, soccer, and ice hockey through campus intramural sports organizations.
Traditions
Bangin' Bertha
Bangin' Bertha is a bell on a trailer. It is carried to home basketball and all football games. It was designed in 1959 by Saddle Tramp Joe Winegar and donated by the Santa Fe Railroad.[10]
Goin' Band from Raiderland
Texas Tech's band is known as the Goin' Band from Raiderland. It traces its beginnings back to the founding of the school and performed at the opening football game, fielding twenty-one (some sources say twenty-five) members.
Guns Up
Guns Up is the handsign of the Red Raiders. It is made from a closed hand by extending the index finger forward and the thumb up. It was originated in 1972 by a Tech graduate, intending to symbolize shooting down the opponents.
Mascots
The Masked Rider is the oldest of Texas Tech's remaining mascots, tracing its origins to 1936. It became the official mascot in 1954. Beginning with the 1971 football season, the Southwest Conference created a rule restricting the use of live animal mascots. Since this rule applied to the horse ridden by the Masked Rider, Raider Red was created as an alternative.
Songs
Alma Mater
"The Matador Song" dates from 1931. The lyrics were written by Tech student R.C. Marshall and the music was composed by Tech Band Director Harry LeMaire. The words and melody have remained unchanged.
Fight Song
"Fight, Raiders, Fight" is the fight song of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. It was written for the Matadors, the original name of teams representing the school (known at the time as Texas Technological College). In 1936, Tech band members Carroll McMath and James Nevins updated it to reflect the teams' new name, Red Raiders.
Spirit
Red Raider spirit is led by such organizations as the Saddle Tramps, the High Riders, and the Spirit Squads (consisting of the Cheer Team and the Pom Squad). In April 2007, the Texas Tech cheerleaders finished fifth at the National Cheerleading Association's Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship.[11]
Rivalries
The Red Raiders' main rivals are the Texas A&M Aggies[12][13] and the Texas Longhorns. It is common for people to camp out in front of Jones AT&T Stadium a few days prior to a football game against either of these teams, in addition to home games versus the Oklahoma Sooners. Any sporting event against these teams draws some of the highest attendances of the season.
Head coaches
| Sport | Coach |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Larry Hays |
| Basketball, Men's | Bob Knight |
| Basketball, Women's | Kristy Curry |
| Cross Country, Men's & Women's | Jon Murray |
| Football | Mike Leach |
| Golf, Men's | Greg Sands |
| Golf, Women's | Stacey Totman |
| Soccer, Men's | Neil McGuire |
| Soccer, Women's | Tom Stone |
| Softball | Teresa Wilson |
| Tennis, Men's | Tim Siegel |
| Tennis, Women's | Cari Groce |
| Track and Field, Men's & Women's | Wes Kittley |
| Volleyball | Nancy Todd |
Facilities
| Sport | Venue |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Dan Law Field |
| Basketball | United Spirit Arena |
| Football | Jones AT&T Stadium |
| Golf | The Rawls Course |
| Soccer | R.P. Fuller Track and Soccer Field |
| Softball | Rocky Johnson Field |
| Tennis | Don & Ethel McLeod Tennis Center |
| Track and Field | R.P. Fuller Track and Soccer Field |
| Volleyball | United Spirit Arena |
Notable athletes, coaches & athletics faculty
In the sports world, Texas Tech Red Raiders have gone on to play in the NFL, NBA, WNBA, Major League Baseball, and more.
Notes and references
- ^ http://www.redraiders.com/techs75th/timeline.htm
- ^ http://kansasstate.rivals.com/barrier_noentry.asp?sid=889&script=/content.asp&cid=680485&fid=&tid=&mid=
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2947981
- ^ http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/090307/col_090307027.shtml
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=2949643
- ^ http://www.baseball-almanac.com/college/texas_tech_university_baseball_players.shtml
- ^ Men's golf to participate in NCAA Championship. The Daily Toreador (May 31, 2007).
- ^ http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/Sports/articles.asp?articleID=20057
- ^ Flock of Siegel: Tech's tenured tennis coach has built program from the bottom, up. The Daily Toreador (April 5, 2007).
- ^ http://www.redraiders.com/techs75th/traditions.htm
- ^ Texas Tech cheerleaders finish fifth in national competition. The Daily Toreador (April 11, 2007).
- ^ http://media.www.thebatt.com/media/storage/paper657/news/2001/11/15/Opinion/TSippers.Or.TortillaThrowers-516399.shtml
- ^ http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news;_ylt=AmzXDyEH1e4KX_rvePkbfS.P1LYF?slug=rivals-137445&prov=rivals&type=lgns
External links
- Texas Tech Athletics - Official Site
- Sports holdings in the Texas Tech University Archives
- PBS Nightly Business Report featuring Texas Tech football
Texas Tech University | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colleges & Schools | College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources • College of Architecture • College of Arts & Sciences • Rawls College of Business • College of Education • College of Engineering • Graduate School • Honors College • College of Human Sciences • School of Law • College of Mass Communications • College of Visual & Performing Arts |  |
| Athletics | Texas Tech Red Raiders • Football • Men's basketball • City Bank Coliseum • Dan Law Field • Jones AT&T Stadium • The Rawls Course • R. P. Fuller Track and Soccer Field • United Spirit Arena | |
| Places | ||
| Student Life | Notable People •The Daily Toreador • Goin' Band from Raiderland • KTXT-FM • KTXT-TV • La Ventana | |
| Traditions | ||
Big 12 Conference | |
|---|---|
| North Division | |
| South Division | |
