A Look at the Rivalry Between TCU and Texas Tech

Oct 20, 2012; Fort Worth, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Skye Dawson (11) stiff arms Texas Tech Red Raiders safety Cody Davis (16) during the game at Amon G. Carter Stadium. The Red Raiders defeated the Horned Frogs 56-53 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech and TCU will meet for only the 4th time since the Southwest Conference split up in 1996, but the history between the Red Raiders and Horned Frogs goes all the way back to 1926, Techs 2nd year of playing football. There are obvious reasons to consider them a rival, such as having to directly recruit against them when they are in the major metroplex that Tech makes a living recruiting out of, Tech hiring former TCU assistant Trey Haverty to come back to Lubbock where he played football, along with former Tech defensive coordinator Chad Glascow who mysteriously disappeared and wound up back at TCU in his same position after the worst statistical defense that Texas Tech has ever fielded.

In many ways, TCU has stepped right into the place of Texas A&M fans for Texas Tech. For whatever reason, these two schools have never given each other the respect that they deserve. TCU was left out of the inaugural Big 12 conference, but made a name for themselves in the MWC by beating teams they should and surprising a few of the “big boys” along the way, leading TCU fans to feel as though they deserved a shot at the Big 12 and that they could beat anyone at anytime. Texas Tech has head to play the “big boys” every year since joining the Big 12, and in many ways it irks Texas Tech fans to hear TCU bragging about their record over the past 5-10 years when they only played 1-2 tough opponents a year. In many ways, these two schools are a lot more alike than they realize, from Will Rogers having a statue on Texas Techs campus and funding the Goin Band from Raiderland to be the first band to travel to an away game (against TCU) to Will Rogers having roads and coliseums named after him in Fort Worth.  TCU was the first of the Southwest Conference schools to schedule a game against Texas Tech before they joined, and years later Tech returned the favor by being the first Big 12 school to schedule TCU when they were in the MWC.

Here is a look at some of the history between Texas Tech and TCU, dating back to 1926:

Prior to Texas Tech joining the Southwest Conference, a traveling trophy was exchanged between the Red Raiders and Horned frogs. The trophy was a miniature saddle and the game was dubbed the “West Texas Championship”, though the trophy seems to have disappeared.

Tech is 29-23-3 vs TCU all time

Tech is 7-3 against TCU in the past 10 games
Tech owns TCU in games in Lubbock…17-5-3
Tech in Fort Worth is…12-18
Since the break up for the SWC, Tech owns a 2-1 advantage.

Tech’s largest win…63-7 in Lubbock in 1985

TCU’s Largest Win…32-0 in Lubbock in 1955

Largest Attendance in Lubbock…51,271…2004.  Tech won 70-35.
Largest Crowd in Fort Worth…47,894…2012.  Tech won 56-53 3ot

Longest Tech win streak…6…1985-1990
Longest TCU win streak….5…1926-1930

While these two teams are still renewing a rivalry of sorts, there is a lot of tradition and history to take into account as we look forward to Thursday nights kickoff.