There was a ton going on around Raiderland this weekend. Here's a look at everything you need to know from a busy time of year on the sports calendar.
Texas Tech track wins Big 12 indoor title
For the second straight year, the Texas Tech men's track and field team has claimed the Big 12 Indoor Championship. Held this year in Lubbock, the meet was a runaway for the Red Raiders.
Tech ended the event with 152 points, 60 points ahead of Oklahoma State. Texas was third with 89 points while Kansas checked in with 81 and Iowa State scored 67.5 to round out the top 5.
This marked the fourth indoor men's team conference title and 12th overall Big 12 championship for legendary Texas Tech head coach Wes Kittley. On the women's side, Texas Tech checked in at No. 2 behind Texas.
Texas Tech baseball has a huge weekend at the plate
In the year's first series at Rip Griffin Park, the Texas Tech baseball team punished Texas Southern in a three-game sweep. Over the weekend, the Red Raiders outscored its overmatched opponent 68-14.
Friday, the team set a new school record for runs in one game in a 32-5 laugher. Saturday, Tech stayed hot with a 20-4 win. Sunday saw the Red Raiders put up 16 runs in a game that was called early with Tech leading by 11 runs.
The Red Raiders are now off until Friday when they host Gardner Webb for three games. It will be interesting to see if the bats stay hot after a four-day break.
Texas Tech Lady Raiders can't pull out of downward spiral
Unfortunately, the Texas Tech Lady Raiders are playing like the worst team in the Big 12 right now. Dropping Saturday's game to a bad Cincinnati team 68-56 in Lubbock, Krista Gerlich's team has now lost its last seven games.
Tech will next travel to Fort Worth to face TCU on Wednesday before wrapping up the regular season on Saturday with a home game against Kansas State. Give the way the Lady Raiders are playing and how decimated they are on the injury front, perhaps this season can't come to an end fast enough.
Texas Tech softball perfect at North Texas Tournament
On the other end of the spectrum, the Texas Tech softball team had a perfect weekend at the North Texas Tournament in Denton. Going 5-0 over the weekend, the Red Raiders took a game from Stephen F. Austin before taking two games each from Minnesota and North Texas.
The Red Raiders are now 12-3 overall on the season. They next face New Mexico on Wednesday in Albuquerque.
NCAA NIL rules suspended by federal judge
In a landmark decision, U.S. District Judge Clifton Corker ruled that NCAA schools and boosters may now discuss N.I.L. payments with recruits before the recruits sign with the school. Thus, there are essentially no rules now prohibiting schools from negotiating financial compensation with recruits.
"Without relief, the NCAA will continue to deprive Plaintiff States' athletes of information about the market value for their NIL rights, thereby preventing them from obtaining full, fair-market value for those rights," the opinion states. "Their labor generates massive revenues for the NCAA, its members, and other constituents in the college athletics industry — none of whom would dare accept such anticompetitive restrictions on their ability to negotiate their own rights. Those athletes shouldn't have to either."
Duke basketball star injured when Wake Forest fans storm court
Duke basketball star Kyle Filipowski was injured Saturday when Wake Forest fans stormed the court following Wake's 83-79 victory. After the game, as students and fans rushed the floor, Filipowski appeared to have his kneed struck and he had to be helped off the floor.
Filipowski has since said that he felt that the actions of the fans were intentional and directed toward him. Meanwhile, Duke head coach John Schyer is one of many leaders in the sport calling for an end to the practice of courtstorming.