On the Hardwood

The Lady Raiders host Wichita State today with tip-off at 6:00 p.m. Of all things, the new NET Rankings were released on Monday and the Lady Raiders checked in at No. 21 overall. I think I’m like a lot of you, I can’t wait to see how this works in Big 12 play. This team does appear to be quite a bit improved overall and I’m happy for that.

On the Gridiron

Texas Tech and head coach Joey McGuire have agreed to a new 7-year contract that will take McGuire through the 2032 season. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams has all of the details:

Texas Tech football coach Joey McGuire has agreed to a new contract that will run through the 2032 season and average at least $6.8 million per year, a Tech athletics spokesman said on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

The contract starts at $6.5 million for the 2026 season and increases by $100,000 per year, topping out at $7.1 million for the 2032 season. McGuire can also earn up to $1.2 million in bonuses each year. Not included in that amount is a $250,000 retention bonus that McGuire can collect if he’s still employed by Tech on May 1, 2027.

Texas Tech moved up to No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings last night and if that were to hold true then Texas Tech would have a 1st round bye. For more on CFP stuff, here are some links:

• CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford:College Football Playoff Rankings: Texas Tech replaces Texas A&M, Alabama appears to lock up bid – At No. 11 behind Notre Dame and ahead of Miami, the Cougars are in with a win over Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship Game. It appears that’s the only direct path for two representatives from the conference. Cougars coach Kalani Sitake will be able to maintain his focus on getting this team to the playoff the rest of the week following an extension — thanks to Crumbl’s CEO and other boosters stepping up to keep him — in wake of his flirtation with Penn State. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark suggested a blind resume grading system Tuesday afternoon ahead of the reveal, effectively backing BYU’s at-large stance in case the Cougars fall in their finale. The committee has spoken, however, and that’s not going to matter if Texas Tech beats BYU for a second time.
• ESPN’s David Hale: Week 15 Anger Index: The case for Texas and monthlong gripes for Miami, BYU [This is going to make you angry if you don’t think Texas belongs in the playoffs, which is why the next link is from Connelly.]
• ESPN’s Bill Connelly: College football Week 14 recap: Ohio State’s dominance, ACC’s confusion – The most interesting team, however, is Texas. Granted, the Longhorn buzz grew quieter when all the favorites won Saturday, but we’ll see if Steve Sarkisian’s campaigning after Friday night’s win over Texas A&M moves the needle. Many have pointed out that, had Texas scheduled a weak nonconference opponent instead of Ohio State, the Longhorns would quite likely be in the field of 12, and that’s fine. My counterpoint, however, is simple: How many times did they actually look like a playoff team this year? Three? Four? They needed overtime to beat Kentucky and barely got past Mississippi State, and their offense didn’t really show up until late October. And no one in about the No. 11-19 range above has suffered a loss as egregious as Texas’ dreadful 29-21 defeat at Florida. Their best wins are strong, but they have both more losses than others in this range and the worst loss of anyone in this range. That more than offsets wins over OU and Vandy in my eyes. Maybe the committee will spring a surprise, but if the Horns don’t make it, it’s their own damn fault.
• The Ringer’s Rodger Sherman: OK Computers: A Formal Apology to College Football’s Biggest Scapegoat – The BCS era was defined by college football fans getting mad at a set of computer formulas. But math was never the problem with the old system—and the sport’s new selection process has only gotten worse

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Nathan Giese on preparing for BYU a second time:

For BYU, the Cougars have insisted for weeks that the millions who watched the Red Raiders manhandle them, giving BYU its first (and only) loss to this point, is not the team head coach Kalani Sitake has come to know.

“We did not show up our best,” Sitake said during Monday’s Zoom press conference to preview the title clash. “A lot of that had to do with Texas Tech. Texas Tech is a complete team with a great coach, great coaching staff, and all three phases, they play amazing football. I think they’re the best team in the country. So when you look at it that way, we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Nathan Giese on Romello Height as being more than just the No. 2 pass rusher for Texas Tech:

Height has 8.5 sacks this season, which ranks fourth in the Big 12. That doesn’t mean he’s finished for the season, though.

“I feel like I’ve done pretty solid at that,” Height said, “but I got more in the tank, and I can go into this game with that mindset.”

Dallas Morning News’ Lia Assimakopoulos on Cody Campbell:

He believes that money could be used to save women’s and Olympic sports that don’t turn a profit in an era where college athletic departments are already under more financial strain due revenue sharing with their athletes.

“The average budget deficit for the 136 FBS schools is $20 million per year per school right now,” Campbell said. “There are definitely the haves and have-nots. And there are a lot more have-nots than there are haves.

“We need to make it so the small schools have enough money to survive and stay in business. That’s the goal here — just to preserve opportunity.”

His radical idea has gained steam largely due to a massive investment by the billionaire himself and the work of his own nonprofit. But it’s been met with ample pushback from commissioners and high-ranking conference officials in the Power Four, who doubt pooled rights could have the impact Campbell says they would.

National Signing Day

Yep, today is National Signing Day for football and this is the coverage today so consider this your open thread.

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams on 5 recruits who can make or break early signing day and here’s just one of those players:

LaDamion Guyton, edge defender, Savannah (Ga.) Benedictine Military
Pulling a five-star recruit out of SEC country is doing something, especially persuading that recruit to turn down his home-state power Georgia, and now the Red Raiders are close to closing the deal. Guyton, 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, is projected for the same position as Tech’s destructive tandem of David Bailey and Romello Height. He chose the Red Raiders over Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina.

Here are your commits as of this morning:

• On3: 20th in the Nation; 1st in Big 12
• 24/7 Sports: 18th in the Nation
• ESPN: 19th in the Nation