Culture Texas Tech Red Raiders and Lady Raiders

1 culture

1.1 nickname
1.2 spirit
1.3 mascots
1.4 rivalries

culture
nickname

the red raiders known matadors 1925–1936. school thinking of appropriate nickname athletic teams in 1925, wife of first football coach suggested matadors reflect influence of campus spanish renaissance architecture. students followed suggestion, , later chose red , black school colors represent matador s traditional garb. coincidentally, football team won first game right after had adopted name. nickname , school colors became official during formal convocation on march 15, 1926.

there 2 main stories how name red raiders replaced predecessor. in 1 story, football coach pete cawthon ordered attractive scarlet uniforms team s identity. football team, wearing new outfit, defeated heavily favored loyola in los angeles on october 26, 1934. los angeles sports writer called matadors red raiding team . other writers covered tech sports caught on term , promoted use of red raiders . in other tale, former lubbock avalanche-journal sports columnist collier parris, reporting on 1932 tech football game, wrote: red raiders texas tech, terror of southwest year, swooped new mexico university camp today. name became popular afterward , 1936, officially replaced matadors @ same time saddle tramps came about.

spirit

red raider spirit led such organizations saddle tramps, high riders, , spirit squads (consisting of cheer squad , pom squad). in april 2010, texas tech cheer squad finished third @ national cheerleaders association , national dance association.

mascots


raider red displaying guns hand gesture

the masked rider texas tech university s oldest mascot. tradition began in 1936, when ghost riders circled field prior home football games. masked rider became official mascot in 1954, when joe kirk fulton led team onto field @ gator bowl. according reports present @ game, crowd sat in stunned silence watched fulton , horse, blackie, rush onto football field, followed team. after few moments, silent crowd burst cheers. ed danforth, writer atlanta journal witnessed event, later wrote, no team in bowl game ever made more sensational entrance.

in 2000, masked rider tradition commemorated unveiling of statue outside of university s frazier alumni pavilion. sculpture, created artist grant speed, 25 percent larger life. today masked rider, guns up, leads team onto field home games. mascot, adorned in distinctive gaucho hat ones worn members of marching band, 1 of visible figures @ texas tech. ashley wenzel, sophomore education major friendswood, texas, represent university masked rider during 2012–13.

texas tech s other mascot, raider red, more recent creation. beginning 1971 football season, southwest conference forbade inclusion of live animal mascots away games unless host school consented. situations host school did not want allow masked rider s horse, alternate mascot needed. jim gaspard, member of saddle tramps student spirit organization, created original design raider red costume, basing on character created cartoonist dirk west, texas tech alumnus , former lubbock mayor. though masked rider s identity public knowledge, has been tradition raider red s student alter ego kept secret until end of or tenure. student serving raider red member of saddle tramps or high riders.

rivalries


since 1996, traveling trophy called chancellor s spurs exchanged between winner of annual longhorn–red raider football game.

texas tech s main athletic rivals texas longhorns , texas a&m aggies. common people camp out in front of jones at&t stadium few days prior home football games against aggies, longhorns, , oklahoma sooners.

in march 2009, texas tech , baylor reached agreement move next 2 football games dallas metropolitan area. schools played november 28, 2009, @ cowboys stadium in arlington tech claiming victory. next game scheduled october 9, 2010, @ cotton bowl stadium during state fair of texas, tech emerging victorious again. arrangement extended additional 2 years.