| Raider Red | |
|---|---|
 Raider Red giving the Guns Up gesture | |
| University | Texas Tech University |
| Conference | Big 12 |
| Description | Costume |
| Origin of name | Variation of team name, Red Raiders |
| First seen | 1971 |
| Related mascot(s) | The Masked Rider |
Raider Red is one of the mascots of Texas Tech University. The university's primary mascot is The Masked Rider who rides a live horse. Raider Red is used at events where The Masked Rider is not allowed or would not be appropriate.
Raider Red is a Wild West character with an oversized cowboy hat. He carries two guns which he fires into the air after Texas Tech scores. [1] Jim Gaspard, a member of the Texas Tech Saddle Tramps student spirit organization, created the original design for the Raider Red costume based on a character created by Lubbock, Texas, cartoonist and former mayor Dirk West. [2] Gaspard used papier-mache and chicken wire to mold the first Raider Red head and it took him three to four weeks to complete. [3] Raider Red was first seen publicly on September 10, 1971. [3]
The student serving as Raider Red is a member of the Saddle Tramps or High Riders. [4] Although The Masked Rider's identity is public knowledge, Raider Red's identity is normally kept secret until the end of his or her tenure as mascot. [5] The first Saddle Tramp to become Red Raider after Jim Gaspard was Stan Alcott from 1971 to 1973. The identity of Red Raider was known and Stan would wear the costume to the game.
Around the 1971 football season, the Southwest Conference created a rule forbidding the bringing of live animal mascots to away games unless the host school permitted it. [6] Since the Masked Rider's horse might have been prohibited from attending some games under this rule, Raider Red was created as an alternate mascot. Texas Tech now plays in the Big 12 Conference, but the tradition of having both mascots continues.
On March 15, 2007, it was revealed that, for the first time, two different people (one man and one woman) served as Raider Red during the same period of time. [7]
In 2012, Raider Red won the Capital One Mascot Challenge, beating the University of South Carolina's Cocky in the final. [8] He is known to his loyal fans as Jeffrey, thanks to the popular podcaster Dan "Big Cat" Katz.
In 2021 Raider Red took the National Cheerleading Associations Mascot Championships stage in Daytona, Florida for the first time in his 50 year lifespan. Raider Red won his first NCA Mascot National Championship that year with a score of 94.28. [9] Competing again in 2022, Raider Red went back to back winning his second NCA Mascot National Championship with a score of 93.28. [10]
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Texas Tech University is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University System. As of fall 2024, the university enrolled 40,969 students, making it the sixth-largest university in Texas. Over 25% of its undergraduate student population identifies as Hispanic, so the university has been designated a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI).
Gerald Glynn "Dirk" West was an editorial cartoonist, journalist, and mayor from Lubbock, Texas, most famous for his caricatures of collegiate mascots. He was born in Littlefield, Texas, but his family moved to Lubbock soon after. He attended Texas Tech University where he drew cartoons for The University Daily student newspaper. He appeared as "Uncle Dirk" on a local children's program for three years while heading up his advertising agency, West Advertising. Beginning in the 1960s, he cartooned for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
The Daily Toreador, also known as The DT, is the student newspaper of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. The newspaper was first published in 1925 as The Toreador and later changed its name to The University Daily before arriving at the current name in 2005. All content for The DT is produced by a staff around 40 members including editors, reporters and photographers. The DT has received numerous regional and national awards, including a Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold crown award, two Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver crown awards, and two Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Award finalists. As well, the paper counts five Pulitzer Prizes and four winners amongst its former staff members.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders and Lady Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University, located in Lubbock, Texas, United States. The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders, while the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name.
The Masked Rider is the primary mascot of Texas Tech University. It is the oldest of the university's mascots still in existence today. Originally called "Ghost Rider", it was an unofficial mascot appearing in a few games in 1936 and then became the official mascot with the 1954 Gator Bowl. The Masked Rider has led the team onto the field at nearly every football game since. It is the nation's first school mascot to feature a live horse at a football game, ahead of Florida State's Chief Osceola and Renegade and 25 years before USC's Traveler and all other such mascots in existence today.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University. The team competes as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The program began in 1925 and has an overall winning record, including a total of 11 conference titles and one division title. On November 8, 2021, Joey McGuire was hired as the team's 17th head football coach, replacing Matt Wells, who was fired in the middle of the 2021 season. Home games are played at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team represents Texas Tech University in basketball. Texas Tech competes in NCAA Division I, and has been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference since its first season in 1996. The team previously competed in the Border Conference and Southwest Conference. The team was founded in 1925, having since won 13 regular season conference championship, and made 20 appearances in the NCAA tournament as of the 2023-2024 season. Since 1999, the Red Raiders have played their home games at the United Supermarkets Arena on the university's campus in Lubbock, Texas.
Guns Up is the famous slogan and hand signal of Texas Tech University. The slogan and hand signal are used by students and alumni as a school-spirited greeting. It is also used as a celebratory sign during athletic events.
Victor Duane Payne Jr. was an American college basketball and college football coach. He was the head football coach at Abilene Christian College and Simmons University. Payne was also the basketball head coach at Texas Technological College—now known as Texas Tech University.
William Leslie "Crip" Golightly was a college basketball head coach.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team represents Texas Tech University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team competes in the Big 12 Conference and plays at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park. Their head coach is Tim Tadlock and is entertaining his 9th season with the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech University traditions are an important part of the culture of Texas Tech University.
The Administration Building is a structure on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. It was one of the original buildings on the campus, and is modeled after the Universidad de Alcala de Henares in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. The Admin building has three floors and a basement and includes twin bell towers, double wings, and a courtyard. Some of the offices housed in the building include the Chancellor's Office, President's Office and Board of Regents Office.
The Texas A&M–Texas Tech football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Texas A&M Aggies football team of Texas A&M University and Texas Tech Red Raiders football team of Texas Tech University. The series began in 1927. The rivalry had continued uninterrupted since 1957 when the two schools became conference rivals. Texas A&M leads the series 37–32–1. Texas A&M started the series with a 12–3 advantage while the two teams played each other as non-conference opponents from 1927–1955. Texas Tech led with a 2–1 record during its probationary membership in the Southwest Conference from 1957–59. Texas A&M led the series during the Southwest Conference years (1960–95) with an 18–17–1 record. Texas Tech led the series during the Big 12 Conference years (1996–2011) with a 10–6 record. In summary, Texas A&M dominated the series during the early years (1927–1955) with a 12–3 advantage, while Texas Tech leads the series in the modern era (1957–2011) with a 29–25–1 advantage. Both teams are tied with six games each for the longest winning streak. Texas Tech holds the longest uninterrupted winning streak of the series, six games between 1968 and 1973, while Texas A&M has the longest nonconsecutive winning streak, six games in 1927, 1932 and 1942 through 1945. Texas A&M currently holds a three-game winning streak but with their departure from the Big 12 Conference in 2012, it is uncertain if the rivalry will continue in the future.
Riding into the Sunset is a bronze sculpture by Electra Waggoner Biggs, depicting Will Rogers on his horse, Soapsuds. There are four castings, located in Fort Worth, Texas, Claremore, Oklahoma, Lubbock, Texas, and Dallas, Texas.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders men's and women's golf teams represents Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech. The teams compete as members of the Big 12 Conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Donovan Lamont Smith is an American college football quarterback for the Houston Cougars. He previously played for Texas Tech.