Texas Tech University

Establishment (circa 1925) The call to open a college in West Texas began shortly after settlers arrived in the area in the 1880s. Construction of the college campus began on November 1, 1924. The university system's endowment reached $1.043 billion in March 2014. In 2023, Texas voters approved the creation of a new funding mechanism, the Texas University Fund. Its $3.9 billion endowment was created by combining a one-time grant from the state’s budget surplus with the National Research University Fund, interest income from the Economic Stabilization Fund, and charitable contributions. Four Texas universities, including Texas Tech, initially qualified to receive TUF funds based on their research expenditures and doctoral degrees awarded annually. Texas Tech received approximately $44 million for fiscal year 2024. Trump era In September 2025, amidst a wider movement by the Texas public university system, the state of Texas more broadly, and the federal government to restrict the rights of transgender people, the university implemented a policy ordering all faculty and staff to comply with President Donald Trump's Executive Order 14168 and orders from Governor Greg Abbott to "reject woke ideologies". The policy prohibited classroom or student discussion of transgender topics, and mandated the recognition of the genders male and female as determined solely at birth. The policy was met with backlash by professors and students alike. In April 2026, professors from the English department reported being told that they could no longer teach books written by gay authors or featuring gay characters. Another measure implemented later that month banned student theses or dissertations from making mention of LGBT topics in any capacity. == Academics ==

By enrollment, Texas Tech is the sixth-largest university in Texas. Altogether, the university has educated students from all 50 US states and over 100 foreign countries. From 1927 through fiscal year 2023, the university awarded 249,780 bachelor's, 55,265 master's, 10,357 doctoral, and 9,449 law degrees. As a public university, Texas Tech is subject to Texas House Bill 588, which guarantees Texas high school seniors in the top 10% of their graduating class admission to any public Texas university. About half of incoming first-year students finish in the top quarter of their graduating classes. Texas Tech University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Texas Tech has a satellite campus in Europe, in Seville, Spain, and one in Escazú, San José, Costa Rica. It is still consistently ranked among the top programs in the nation. Its students won the Financial Planning Association's Financial Planning Challenge in 2024, 2023, 2021, 2020, and 2018. The Huckabee College of Architecture, founded in 1927, offers programs accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board. According to the National Science Foundation, Texas Tech had $240.1 million in research development funding and expenditures in fiscal year 2023, ranking Texas Tech 122nd in the nation. The National Wind Institute (formerly the Wind Science and Engineering Research Center or WISE) was established following the May 11, 1970, Lubbock Tornado that caused 26 fatalities and over $1.06 billion (2024 dollars) in damage in Lubbock. The National Wind Institute, which includes of indoor laboratory space, is focused on research, education, and information outreach. National Wind Institute researchers contributed significantly to the development of the Enhanced Fujita Scale for rating the strength of tornadoes. Texas Tech's Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources has received state and federal grants for research projects including the fiber properties of cotton, the antibacterial properties of cotton fabric, and the development of chemical-warfare protective fabrics. The NWI has evolved from its traditional singular focus on wind hazards to three main research pillars of energy systems, atmospheric measurement & simulation, and wind engineering. • Institute for Critical Infrastructure Security (ICIS): This institute works with federal partners to understand existing and new cyber security threats. Through partnerships with industry, national labs and educational organizations, ICIS monitors and updates networks to strengthen critical infrastructure security to protect lives and livelihoods. • Fiber & Biopolymer Research Institute (FBRI): The FBRI is committed to serving the research needs of university researchers, cotton breeders, public agencies, and textile manufacturers. Research done within the institute is changing the way the world talks about fiber quality. • Institute for One Health Innovation: A multidisciplinary research institute that brings together experts from human, animal and environmental health to better understand how each interacts with the others, and thereby develop a more holistic approach to health for all. • International Center for Food Industry Excellence (ICFIE): ICFIE provides innovation, research, and technology transfer across the four pillars of food security. Prestigious faculty members provide collaborative expert resources in food access, availability, stability and utilization both domestically and internationally. Online and regional learning programs Texas Tech offers online and regional programs in addition to programs offered on the main campus. There are programs that are fully online, hybrid/blended, and at regional sites. The university offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, as well as a graduate certification preparation program, at the regional sites of Amarillo, Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso, Fredericksburg, Junction, Marble Falls, and Waco. Texas Tech's online programs also gained recognition from U.S. News & World Report, ranking 22nd on their list of the best online MBA programs and 19th on their list of the best online MBA programs for veterans. == Campus ==

The Lubbock campus is home to the main academic university, law school, and medical school (Health Sciences Center). It is one of two institutions (the other being UT Austin) in Texas to have a graduate school, law school, and medical school on its main campus. The campus has Spanish Renaissance architecture. The university also hosts the Museum of Texas Tech University, which was founded in 1929 and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. == Student life ==

There are over 620 student clubs and organizations at Texas Tech. Many students participate in Fraternity & Sorority Life. The Texas Tech Band is called Goin' Band from Raiderland. The 450-member band, which was awarded the Sudler Trophy in 1999, performs at football games and other events. National Public Radio station KTTZ-FM 89.1, which features classical music and news, is also found on campus. Additionally, the university owns and operates Public Broadcasting Service television station KTTZ-TV. Students run a newspaper, The Daily Toreador, until 2005 known as The University Daily. Until 2020, the university also produced a yearbook, La Ventana. Over 25% of its undergraduate student population identifies as Hispanic, which designates the university as a Hispanic-serving institution. == Athletics ==

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 more than 20 years, the Southwest Conference admitted Texas Tech on May 12, 1956. The Texas Tech Lady Raiders, led by player Sheryl Swoopes and head coach Marsha Sharp, won the 1993 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship. After Tubby Smith's departure in 2016, Chris Beard, an assistant under Bob Knight, came aboard. Beard quickly achieved national attention, leading the team to its first Elite Eight appearance in just his second season. He led the Red Raiders to the Final Four in his third year, losing in the National Championship game to Virginia. The Red Raiders current head coach is Grant McCasland. Since 1999, Texas Tech has played home basketball games at United Supermarkets Arena, a 15,020-seat multipurpose facility which cost $ in dollars to build. The Red Raiders football team, is a member of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A) and is coached by Joey McGuire. 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. On August 7, 2008, the Board of Regents of the Texas Tech University System announced a $25 million expansion project. The Red Raiders baseball team played its first game in 1925. The Texas Tech team plays its home games at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park. The field, renovated in 2012 and 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. Mascots The Masked Rider is Texas Tech University's oldest mascot. The tradition began in 1936, when "ghost riders" were dared to circle the field prior to home football games. The Masked Rider became an official mascot in 1954, when Joe Kirk Fulton led the team onto the field at the Gator Bowl. According to reports from those at the game, the crowd sat in stunned silence as they watched Fulton and his horse Blackie rush onto the football field, followed by the team. After a few moments, the silent crowd burst into cheers. In 2000, The Masked Rider tradition was commemorated with the unveiling of a statue outside of the university's Frazier Alumni Pavilion. The sculpture, created by artist Grant Speed, is 25% larger than life. Texas Tech's other mascot, Raider Red, is a more recent creation. Beginning with the 1971 football season, the Southwest Conference forbade the inclusion of live animal mascots to away games unless the host school consented. For situations where the host school did not want to allow the Masked Rider's horse, an alternative mascot was needed. Jim Gaspard, a member of the Saddle Tramps student spirit organization, created the original design for the Raider Red costume, basing it on a character created by cartoonist Dirk West, a Texas Tech alumnus and former Lubbock mayor. Although the Masked Rider's identity is public knowledge, it has always been tradition that Raider Red's student alter ego is kept secret until the end of his or her tenure. The student serving as Raider Red is a member of the Saddle Tramps or High Riders. == Traditions ==

Carol of Lights The Carol of Lights is an annual event, sponsored by the Residence Halls Association, to celebrate the holiday season. The event begins with a carillon concert, from the 46 bells in the west tower of the Administration Building followed a torch-light processional by the Saddle Tramps and High Riders spirit organizations. The Texas Tech Trombone Choir and combined choirs lead the crowd in singing carols and the illumination ceremony culminates with a soloist performance of "O Holy Night" in the Science Quadrangle. This is followed by the lighting ceremony, where 13 buildings within the Texas Technological College Historic District are illuminated with the over 25,000 red, white, and orange lights. Texas Tech ring While the class ring had occasionally used a universal design, by the late 20th century, various styles were available. In 1999, the university reverted to a single ring design for the university's graduates. The new Official Texas Tech Alumni Association Class Ring symbolically captures the essence of Texas Tech with the prominent Double T logo surrounded by the school's full name and date of foundation. By tradition, undergraduates wear the ring with the Double T logo facing themselves. Upon graduation, the ring is turned so the logo faces outward. One shoulder of the ring displays an image of the Administration Building, with the bells which represent victory. The other shoulder contains the university seal: an American eagle perched above a book, representing the church; a star, representing the State of Texas; a key, representing home; and, a lamp, representing knowledge. These elements are separated by a cross featuring ten cotton bolls, one each for Lubbock and its nine surrounding cotton-producing counties. == Notable alumni ==

The Texas Tech Alumni Association, with over 28,000 members, operates 100 chapters in cities throughout the United States and the world. Throughout Texas Tech's history, faculty, alumni, and former students have played prominent roles in many different fields. Among its Distinguished Alumni is Demetrio B. Lakas, President of the Republic of Panama from 1969 to 1978. Five astronauts, including Rick Husband, the final commander of Space Shuttle Columbia and recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, graduated from the university. John Hinckley Jr., who attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1981, attended the university sporadically from 1973 to 1980. ==See also==