Well, there’s a bit of a public dispute between one of the biggest voices in college football and the commissioner of the Big 12.
Cody Campbell, the Chairman of the Texas Tech Board of Regents and also a billionaire booster for the Red Raiders, very openly disagrees with the scheduling practices of having college football teams located in Texas play on Friday nights. Brett Yormark, the man charged with leading the conference and keeping the Big 12 running, doesn’t seem to appreciate Campbell’s very prominent input on the matter.
So, we’ve got a bit of a back and forth regarding Texas Tech’s September 19 match up in Lubbock against the Houston Cougars. Campbell’s stance all surrounds the fact that Friday night football games are a huge deal in Texas (the Texas High School Coaches Association seems to back Campbell on this matter).
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and Texas Tech regent Cody Campbell disagree over scheduling practices for Friday nights
Campbell has been VERY up front and vocal over the issue and he’s made sure to make his stance on the matter as clear as he can be. Campbell cites issues such as the scheduling with Oregon State out on the west coast the week prior to the matchup with Houston to also the clustering of Texas Tech fans in DFW (I’m pretty certain that quite a few are in Houston as well).
Friday Night Lights are sacred in the Great State of Texas! It is absolutely absurd that the @Big12Conference and @FOXSports would consider scheduling @TexasTechFB and @UHCougarFB on a Friday night (October 18th)!! I know that @brettyormark is not a native Texan, but he’s been…
— Cody Campbell (@CodyC64) March 30, 2026
And still, it’s getting a ton of attention given the sort of platform that Campbell has. Yormark makes it clear that Campbell doesn’t control the conference (and it’s worth keeping in mind that the Red Raiders didn’t have a Friday night game last season).
From Cody Campbell on Brett Yormark: “As commissioner, he needs to remember that he works for the Presidents, and the Presidents work for the Boards. He is not the dictator of the conference. That’s not his role. It is his responsibility to advocate for his members in all cases.” https://t.co/TSqLcVmSA9
— Dave Wilson (@dwil) April 2, 2026
A brewing public spat in the Big 12…
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) April 2, 2026
“Cody Campbell does not run the Big 12,” Brett Yormark tells the Avalanche-Journal. https://t.co/H6VSTeeDae
There’s a few wrinkles to this one.
It is NO secret how THSCA stands on this issue as it has been discussed many times over the past 3 years. We believe Friday Night in Texas during the fall should be reserved for HS Football.
— Joe Martin (@coachjoemartin) April 3, 2026
The Friday Night Light experience and tradition is truly part of our Texas culture. https://t.co/hBZzaBp9pX
Like the fact that the Texas High School Coaches Association has a significant influence on the sport in Texas. And then there’s the fact that the Texas Tech vs Houston game is likely to be the biggest match up in the Big 12 for that week. Both teams won double digit games last season and are looking to build upon that this coming season.
Points of clarification on the 09/19 Friday Night @TexasTechFB and @UHCougarFB game:
— Cody Campbell (@CodyC64) April 3, 2026
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…
Campbell did make it clear that he respects Yormark in the position that he’s in towards the end of a lengthier post on Twitter/X. But for the most part, I suspect that folks are going to ignore that.