The business of college football has once again stepped into the spotlight. Thanks to a very public spat, we now know some scheduling news. The television partners of the Big 12 may move the Houston-Texas Tech matchup to a Friday Night. The Red Raiders avoided playing under those Friday Night Lights shining across the Lone Star State in 2025. But this situation raises a bigger concern for football fans, specifically in Texas. Will Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark take stronger action to avoid invading Friday’s? Should he instead protect a deeply rooted cultural thread in the state of Texas?
Should Brett Yormark Protect Friday Night Lights In Texas?
Cody Campbell Fires The Opening Salvo
On March 30th, Campbell went to X to share his thoughts on the scheduling move for the Texas Tech/Houston game. He began by noting how sacred Friday Night Lights are in Texas. He expanded on those thoughts the next day. In a quote to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal on March 31st, Campbell said, “I heard about it through the (Tech football) staff up here and our administration that it was being discussed. They (TV Partners) have the draft or whatever, and the conference doesn’t want to really acknowledge it, but they do have an ability to influence those decisions.”
“They just chose not to because they were chasing ratings, which I do understand on one hand, but on the other hand, high school football is important in the state of Texas. We’ve got a road game the week before. It’s not an ideal situation for us, and…I think our conference should protect us more than they did.” Campbell would also add, “I think Yormark could have gone to bat for us and didn’t, because, again, he wanted the ratings.”
The defending Big 12 champions play Oregon State in Corvallis, Oregon, on September 12th. The Red Raiders will likely return to Lubbock in the early morning hours of Sunday, September 13th. This creates a legitimate concern about the players’ best interests on a short week. However, one could argue that the game will look very similar to the 2025 edition. So, starters won’t be taxed a ton in that game.
Yormark Not Scared
The next day, April 1st, the Big 12 released a statement from Yormark to the Avalanche-Journal saying, “Cody Campbell does not run the Big 12. Our Board and our ADs approved playing 12 games a year off of Saturdays in an effort to raise the profile, narrative, and viewership of Big 12 Football. Texas Tech hosting a primetime game on Friday night delivers that.” The statement would provide data to back up that mission statement. “Friday night Big 12 football games outperformed the Conference’s average rating by 64% in 2025. All of our schools are treated equally during the TV scheduling process, and this game fits within our scheduling parameters.”
When the Big 12 schedule was released on January 21st, it came with the usual caveat that some Saturday games could shift to other days of the week. Yormark also made it clear during his first Big 12 media days in 2023 that he wanted to tap into the Friday night TV window. Houston and Texas Tech enter 2026 as conference-title contenders. One could argue that this matchup will headline the entire 2026 Big 12 schedule. It deserves and requires the nation’s undivided attention.
High School Coaches Not Fans
In 2025, the Big 12 had two Friday games played in Texas: Auburn at Baylor on August 29th and Colorado at Houston on September 12th. In total, across the FBS, there were seven games in which a school in Texas hosted a college football game on a Friday night. To the surprise of no one, the Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) has repeatedly issued public objections to college games during their 11-week regular season. In response to the Campbell and Yormark’s back-and-forth, the Avalanche-Journal reported that Texas Tech Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt has already notified Lubbock ISD athletic directors about the potential switch. So, high schools can adjust their own schedules if needed.
At this point, we can safely assume the game will move to Friday. Quarterback Brendan Sorsby (who played his high school ball in Lake Dallas, TX) will lead the Red Raiders into a matchup that could shape the conference title race. Too bad the future of college football will be locked up in their own regular-season matchups. In a perfect world, no college football in all 50 states would play on Fridays. But the toothpaste got squeezed out of the tube long ago. TV money pushed it out, and conference commissioners would be fired over it if they turned it down.
Mistake To Have Friday Night Lights Overshadowed By Big 12 Matchup?
If you have never lived in the state, Friday Night Lights – whether you read the book, watch the movie, or the TV show – captures exactly how local towns feel about their high school football teams. It truly hits differently. Having two Texas programs playing on a Friday night feels sacrilegious. That TV money will feel a lot like blood money to anyone residing in the state. But Yormark is making the right move by shifting this game. His job is to grow the conference and act in the best interest of all its members.
Last Word highlighted one of the bigger problems facing the Big 12 before last season, and it hasn’t changed. Campbell and the rest of the Red Raider fan base (and Houston, for that matter) can stay mad at this situation. But until the Big 12 wins at the highest levels against the Big 10 and SEC, it must continue to capture as many eyeballs as possible whenever the opportunity appears.
Main Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
