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Texas Tech basketball: What the showdown with Kentucky means for Red Raiders

By Matthew Conner

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - FEBRUARY 16: Nick Richards #4 and Reid Travis #22 of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrate after the win against Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena on February 16, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - FEBRUARY 16: Nick Richards #4 and Reid Travis #22 of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrate after the win against Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena on February 16, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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ESPN GameDay could be back in Lubbock

Speaking of national respect, not much carries more weight in the minds of fans (in regards to how they perceive the respect being shown to their school) than a visit from ESPN’s College GameDay.  In either football or basketball, when ESPN brings its flagship pregame show to town, the atmosphere on campus is ratcheted up a notch.

GameDay has come to Lubbock only twice.  In 2008, the football version was on hand when the Red Raiders took on No. 1 Texas and in 2018 the basketball edition paid a visit to the U.S.A. when the Red Raiders hosted Kansas.

Given the expected high-profile nature of this matchup, fans are already hoping that another visit from the GameDay crew will be in store.  After their broadcast from Lubbock in 2018, all involved with ESPN had high praise for the university and Lubbock so perhaps that memory will help bring them back two years later.

It would make sense for ESPN to take its top crew to one of the Big 12 / SEC games that day being as the network uses the event as a showcase event for college basketball on the weekend prior to the Super Bowl, the first weekend since September with no football.

As long as either the Red Raiders or Wildcats are ranked in the top-10 and the other team is in the top-25, there’s little doubt that GameDay will be back in the Hub City.  The only other matchup that weekend that would seem to have the type of sizzle to warrant a GameDay visit would be the game between Tennessee and Kansas in Lawrence.

Having GameDay on your campus is a special opportunity to showcase your program to a national television audience and expanding the national awareness of Red Raider basketball will be a key component of taking the program to the next level.  That’s another reason why being awarded the chance to take on one of the most recognizable programs in the game is such a boon for Tech.

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