YIKES: Brett Yormark, Big 12 Are NOT HAPPY With Texas Tech, While ESPN, FOX Punish Football Teams

The Big 12’s aggressive push into weeknight programming has ignited a firestorm in Lubbock, as the conference recently finalized a 2026 football schedule that leans heavily into Friday and Thursday windows. For Commissioner Brett Yormark, the move is a pragmatic play to maximize television revenue and secure "unopposed" viewership. For Texas Tech, it is being viewed as a direct assault on West Texas tradition. The Red Raiders’ schedule is at the heart of the controversy, featuring two premier home matchups moved off Saturday: a Friday, September 18 clash with Houston and a Thanksgiving Thursday tilt against TCU. The shift effectively strips Lubbock of two traditional Saturday "gameday experiences," impacting local tourism and a tailgating culture that thrives on all-day Saturday festivities. The backlash has been spearheaded by Texas Tech Board of Regents Chairman Cody Campbell, whose public feud with Yormark has become a central storyline in the conference. Campbell famously took to social media to declare that "Friday Night Lights are sacred in the Great State of Texas," arguing that scheduling college games on Fridays disrespects the deeply rooted high school football culture that fuels the sport’s ecosystem. When Yormark bluntly responded that "Cody Campbell does not run the Big 12," the billionaire booster doubled down, asserting that the commissioner serves the university presidents and their boards—not the other way around. This scheduling spat has evolved into a proxy war over the soul of the conference, pitting Yormark’s "modern media brand" vision against the traditionalists who feel the league is selling its core identity for a slight ratings bump. Everydayer Club  If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub  Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! RugietGet 15% off your treatment → https://rugiet.com/lockedonnhlRugiet. Performance medicine for men. Rocket MoneyLet Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join athttps://RocketMoney.com/LOCKEDON. Turbo TaxThis year you’re getting a major upgrade — Intuit TurboTax now has in-person locations nationwide. Visit http://TurboTax.com/local to book your appointment today. IndeedListeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast FanDuelToday's episode is brought to you by FanDuel.Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get two-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins.Visit https://FANDUEL.COMto get started — Play Your Game. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOBig12?sid=YouTube Locked On College Conferences, HBCU, Basketball & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnCollege Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drakectoll Follow the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LOBig12 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.