Texas Tech University/Archive 2 - Athletics

Athletics

Main article: Texas Tech Red Raiders See also: Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball, Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball, Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball, Texas Tech Red Raiders cross country, Texas Tech Red Raiders football, and Texas Tech Red Raiders golf

Texas Tech's athletic teams are known as the Red Raiders with the exception of the women's basketball team, which is known as the Lady Raiders. Texas Tech competes in NCAA Division I FBS (formerly Division I-A) and is a member of the Big 12 Conference. From 1932 until 1956, the university belonged to the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association. After being rejected eight times over a period of more than 20 years, Texas Tech was admitted to the Southwest Conference on May 12, 1956. When the Southwest Conference disbanded in 1995, Texas Tech, along with the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, and Baylor University, merged with schools from the former Big Eight Conference to form the Big 12.

Of its varsity sports, Texas Tech's women's basketball team has been the only one to claim a national title. The Lady Raiders, led by player Sheryl Swoopes and head coach Marsha Sharp, won the 1993 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship. The men's basketball team has made 14 appearances in the NCAA Men's Division I Tournament. Bob Knight served as men's basketball coach from the beginning of the 2001 season until February 4, 2008. On January 1, 2007, he became the winningest coach in men's NCAA Division I basketball history, when the Red Raiders defeated the New Mexico Lobos, 70–68. Upon Knight's retirement, his son Pat Knight became the head coach of the team for several seasons before being replaced by Billy Gillispie. In 2013, Gillispie was replaced by Tubby Smith.

Since 1999, home basketball games have been played at United Spirit Arena, a 15,020-seat multipurpose facility which cost $85.4 million in 2013 dollars to build. In addition to serving as home to the men's and women's basketball teams, the arena is used by the Lady Raiders volleyball team.

The Red Raiders football team, is a member of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A) and is currently coached by former Red Raider quarterback Kliff Kingsbury. Throughout the 2000s, then head coach Mike Leach lead the team to national prominence. In 14 of its last 15 seasons, Tech finished with a winning record, the fourth-longest such streak in the nation at the time. The Red Raiders have made 34 bowl appearances, which is 20th most of any university. From 1932 to 1956, as members of the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Red Raiders won eight conference championships and one co-championship, the most held by a Border Conference member. After joining the Southwest Conference, the Red Raiders added conference co-championships in 1976 and 1994.

Jones AT&T Stadium serves as home to the Red Raiders football team. The stadium, named for Clifford B. and Audrey Jones, opened in 1947. In 2000, the stadium was renamed Jones SBC Stadium after SBC Communications made a $30 million contribution to the university. Following SBC Communications' acquisition of AT&T Corporation in 2006 and its subsequent adoption of the AT&T name, the stadium was renamed Jones AT&T Stadium. The stadium's original seating capacity was 27,000, but it was expanded in 1959, 1972, 2003, 2009, 2010, and 2013. On August 7, 2008, the Board of Regents of the Texas Tech University System announced a $25 million expansion project. The expansion added a Spanish Renaissance-themed façade to the east side of the stadium. In addition to the improvements to the exterior of the facility, the expansion added 1,000 general-admission seats, 550 club seats, and 26 suites. Texas Tech allocated a total of $19 million to the expansion and added another $6 million through fund-raising initiatives. On November 20, 2008, university officials announced the project's fundraising goal had been exceeded. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the expansion took place on November 29, 2008, and construction was completed prior to the 2009 football season.

In January 2013, construction began adding another 368 seats in the north endzone, in addition to an observation deck that will hold 40. The $11 million dollar project also includes a significantly upgraded jumbotron with a new sound system, a Spanish Renaissance-themed colonnade, and a new north end zone concourse connecting the two stadium halves. Along with the other additions, 157 feet of ribbon board will be added on the north end zone, more than 160 linear feet in the northeast and northwest corners of the stadium, and 94 lineal feet in the south end zone over the athletic offices. The construction is scheduled to be completed before the beginning of the 2013 season. The current seating capacity of the stadium is 60,862, making it the third-largest on-campus stadium in Texas.

The Red Raiders baseball team played its first game in 1925. The team has two conference championships, two conference tournament championships, and has made nine NCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament appearances. Larry Hays coached the team from 1987 to 2008 and lead the team to a .639 winning percentage. Following Hays’ retirement on June 2, 2008, Assistant Coach Dan Spencer was promoted to head coach. Dan Spencer was replaced by Tim Tadlock following the 2012 season. At least 20 former Red Raiders baseball players have gone on to play in the Major Leagues. The team plays its home games at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park. The field, renovated in 2012 and located on the main campus in Lubbock, has a seating capacity of 5,050.

In addition to varsity sports, the university's Sport Clubs Federation offers 30 recreational and competitive sport clubs, including polo, rugby union, lacrosse, fencing, and soccer. In 2006, Texas Tech beat rival Texas A&M to win the United States Polo Association National Intercollegiate Championship.