Texas' last-ever Big 12 conference game will come at home against Texas Tech on Nov. 24. League commissioner Brett Yormark not only plans to be in attendance for the historic occasion, he recently made it clear which team he'll be rooting for on Black Friday in Austin. Speaking Wednesday at the Red Raider Club kickoff luncheon in Lubbock, Texas, he delivered a tongue-in-cheek message to Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire.
"I'm not going to put any pressure on you, but I'm going to be in Austin on Thanksgiving," Yormark said from the stage. "And you better take care of business like you did right here in Lubbock last year."
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark today: “Coach (Joey McGuire), I’m not going to put any pressure on you, but I’m going to be in Austin on Thanksgiving. And you better take care of business like you did right here in Lubbock last year.” pic.twitter.com/KRDohHn288
— Joe Cook (@josephcook89) August 23, 2023
Wednesday was not the first time this summer that a high-ranking Big 12 official has taken aim at the Longhorns. At Big 12 Football Media Days in July, Big 12 deputy commissioner Tim Weiser wasn't short on words regarding the Longhorns' plans to leave for the SEC, suggesting they'd "rather get beat by Alabama than Kansas State or Florida than Iowa State."
Texas enters the season as the favorite to to win the Big 12, but Texas Tech looks like a potential contender entering its second year under McGuire. The Red Raiders won eight games last year, defeating both Texas and Oklahoma in the same season for the first time ever. Texas Tech's win against Texas last September was the Red Raiders' first triumph against the Longhorns since 2017.
Texas Tech and Texas have met 72 times on the gridiron and have competed in the same league since 1956 when Texas Tech joined the Southwest Conference. Both were charter members of the Big 12 in 1994. The Longhorns have historically dominated a series that dates back to 1928, owning a 54-18 edge.
