Texas Tech has a billionaire booster who says the Alabama Crimson Tide can't compete due to "not enough capital." The well-known booster is former Texas Tech player Cody Campbell, who is a current oil-rich donor for the Red Raiders. According to reports, Campbell donated $25M for a Red Raider stadium project. The Matador Club, led by Campbell, has reportedly donated $60M to Texas Tech athletics since 2022. The total cash infusion Campbell has made to the Texas Tech football program is not publicly known.
In Campbell's recent comment about the Alabama Crimson Tide, he included Auburn as well. Apparently, it was a comparison that Alabama's economic base is dwarfed by that of the state of Texas.
Cody Campbell stated, "... look at the transfer portal rankings right now. Schools like Alabama and Auburn are struggling. They don’t have the booster support. Nothing against Alabama, I have a ton of respect for that program. But they can’t raise the money like the University ofcan… They don’t have as much money in the institution itself, they don’t have the donor support.”
It is believed the player budget for Texas Tech football during the past season exceeded $30M. It made a difference. The Red Raiders finished the season ranked No. 7 in the AP Poll. It did not buy them a Playoff win, but with recent lobbying by multiple programs for unlimited player budgets, maybe next season the Texas Tech player payroll may be well above $40M, even $50M.
It is widely believed the Red Raiders will pay new quarterback, Brendan Sorsby, at least $5M for the 2026 season.
After the Red Raiders lost their playoff game to Oregon, head coach Joey McGuire said, "We’re in a world that makes no sense. But that’s where we’re at, and you’ve got to find a way to be better to win this game.”
Can the Alabama Crimson Tide spend less and win more?
Is Cody Campbell right about Alabama? Or can the Crimson Tide find a way to succeed with fewer dollars? If the game either officially or unofficially evolves to virtually unlimited player payroll budgets, the new billionaire-funded blue bloods might be disdained more than the old blue bloods ever were. And the Alabama Crimson Tide might not be one of them.