Texas Tech mega-booster publicly criticizes Red Raiders' effort after blowout loss to Cincinnati originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Texas Tech's loss to Cincinnati is the Red Raiders' first of the season, but it has implications beyond just the Big 12 standings.
The Red Raiders were one of just a few teams to enter the week with an undefeated record, so the loss means Texas Tech's margin of error moving forward to make the College Football Playoff is smaller. Additionally, Texas Tech and Cincinnati had some bad blood stemming from the Brendan Sorsby saga in the offseason, so certain Red Raiders are not happy with the loss.
Most notably, it is Cody Campbell who was frustrated by how Texas Tech played against the Bearcats on Saturday. Campbell, a mega-booster at Texas Tech, had a personal stake in this game following his actions regarding Sorsby in the Spring, and he made it known how upset he was by this loss.
Here's why Campbell was seemingly furious to see his team lose to Cincinnati.
MORE: How Indiana's 'gritty' OT victory at Michigan tilts CFP, Big Ten title race
Texas Tech mega-booster publicly criticizes team
After Texas Tech lost to Cincinnati as a heavy favorite, Cody Campbell took to social media to call out the team.
"There is no excuse or reason to lose a game like this," Campbell said. "We have to be better."
There is no excuse or reason to lose a game like this. We have to be better. @TexasTechFB
— Cody Campbell (@CodyC64) October 24, 2026
The Red Raiders' loss means the team's College Football Playoff chances shrink, especially with multiple undefeated teams atop the Big 12.
MORE: Texas Tech loss to Cincinnati creates uphill CFP climb
Who is Cody Campbell?
Campbell played offensive line at Texas Tech from 2001-04, and briefly played in the NFL for a season before moving on to the oil industry. Campbell founded Double Eagle Energy Holdings, which helped him become a billionaire through his business dealings.
Therefore, Campbell is Texas Tech's main power booster, giving him a lot of say in the program's roster decisions. Campbell's money is a big reason why the Red Raiders are such big players in the transfer portal with the NIL deals.
MORE: Sporting News 2026 Midseason All-America college football team
Why does Cody Campbell hate Cincinnati?
Campbell's hate of Cincinnati stems from the Brendan Sorsby situation in the offseason. Texas Tech landed Sorsby from the Bearcats in the transfer portal, but Sorsby involvement in a gambling scandal led to him leaving the program.
As the saga rolled along, Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield publicly accused Texas Tech of illegally recruiting Sorsby before the quarterback entered the transfer portal. Then, Campbell reportedly texted Big 12 Brett Yormark a threat towards Satterfield.
"In the spirit of not publicly airing 'family disputes,' somebody should inform Coach Satterfield that Texas Tech has gone out of its way to not drag Cincinnati on the Sorsby deal,'" Sportico reported Campbell texted Yormark. "We have plenty of receipts, and he wants no part of it...This is not a fight he should start."
After the season began, Campbell continued to take shots at Texas Tech's rivals in the Big 12 for the way they handled the Sorsby situation, as he explained on the Red Raiders' docu-series "The Program."
"Looking back on it, I know that Texas Tech and I handled everything with integrity, and we did things the right way," Campbell said. "I think this is something that could have been handled much more privately. We're not going to forget about that, and I don't think they'll forget about it either when we're up by 40 and still throwing the ball in the fourth quarter. That's where the retribution will come."
MORE: