By Matthew Conner ,
8 hours ago Sep 18, 2026; Lubbock, Texas, USA; A detailed view of the Texas Tech Red Raiders helmets on the bench before the game against the Houston Cougars at Galaxy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect There is no denying that the Texas Tech football program moves the needle with college football fans. Love them or hate them, the Red Raiders draw eyeballs to the screen, and the ratings from last week's showdown with Houston are proof.
Tech's 28-26 win over the Cougars was featured on FOX, where it drew an average of over 3 million viewers. What's more, it peaked at over 4 million viewers, a huge number for a Friday night game.
To put that in perspective, that number is a 31% increase from the average FOX Friday night game's ratings a season ago. In other words, Texas Tech is generating quite a bit of interest around the nation.
Texas Tech is the Big 12's biggest draw For years, Texas Tech was a plucky underdog in the Big 12 that only drew national attention after an upset of Texas or Oklahoma. Now, though, the Red Raiders are the biggest draw in the conference.
There is no question that people tuned in ...