Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark won't be spending the holidays with Texas anytime soon, at least according to Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian.
Yormark caused a stir earlier in August when he publicly told Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire during a speaking event in Lubbock, Texas, to "take care of business" against the No. 11 Longhorns during their Nov. 24 matchup. Those remarks weren't lost on Sarkisian, who claimed to have received a letter regarding sportsmanship from Yormark one day before the commissioner took aim at Texas.
"You know I got a letter from the commissioner about sportsmanship the day before that speech," Sarkisian told reporters during a Week 1 press conference. "So I'm trying to figure out what are we promoting to our student-athletes, and then to go say those type of things. I'm not guessing that he's going to be having his Thanksgiving dinner with us the night before that game."
Last season, Texas Tech scored its first win against Texas since 2017 when the Red Raiders prevailed against the Longhorns in overtime, 37-34. It was also the first time Texas Tech defeated the Longhorns in Lubbock since 2008 when quarterback Graham Harrell connected with receiver Michael Crabtree for a go-ahead score in the game's final seconds.
This year's meeting between the schools is the last scheduled matchup for the foreseeable future as Texas, along with Oklahoma, prepares to depart the Big 12 for the SEC come July 2024.
Picked by media members in July to win the Big 12 in their final year of membership, the Longhorns have made it clear more than once that they're embracing the target on their back. Yormark wasn't even the first Big 12 official to take aim at Texas. Big 12 deputy commissioner Tim Weiser ruffled feathers at Big 12 Media Days when he claimed the Longhorns would "rather get beat by Alabama than Kansas State."
For the meantime, the focus at Texas is the team's Week 1 home game against Rice as Sarkisian and the Longhorns look to ride the support of their fanbase to a memorable Big 12 finale.
"We know who's behind us," Sarkisian added. "And that's okay. Now let's go play."
