Picture this: A program that just went 8-5. Everyone assuming it’s the same old Texas Tech with a new coat of scarlet paint. Cute story, right? Wrong. What’s brewing in Lubbock isn’t a paint job. It’s an oil-fueled rebuild that’s shaking up the Big 12 like a Friday night tailgate gone off the rails. Cody Campbell, oil tycoon, Red Raider through-and-through, and now Tech’s ultimate shot-caller, straight up admitted what the rest of the country was whispering: Tech’s packing a $28 million investment.
On August 17, Campbell jumped on Dave Campbell’s Texas Football podcast with Mike Craven and Carter Yates, and Yates teed it up perfectly. He asked about Tech suddenly snatching five-stars like Felix Ojo and even making SEC and Big Ten fans squirm. Campbell didn’t duck. He came with the receipts: “Well, it’s been a lot of fun. But I mean, the thing is, like, the reality is that I think, you know, we we have some natural advantages that a lot of people don’t. I mean, we have an incredibly strong donor base that’s very, very passionate about Texas Tech and is willing to help. And so, you know, and we have a university that’s solid financially and, you know, we have growing student population. You know, nationally enrollment’s down like 14% in the last 10 years, but Texas Tech has been growing. Like, we’re we’re in really good shape.” Translation: these oil wells aren’t running dry anytime soon.
According to Cody Campbell that NIL market is going to crash, and many OG programs will be bleeding out, Campbell made it crystal clear. Tech’s not just here to stay, they’re here to feast while others fold. And it’s not just talk. This is big-boy money being thrown around like candy at a parade. We’re talking $5.1 million to land five-star OT Felix Ojo. $3 million for hoops stud JT Toppin. A fat seven-figure deal for softball ace NiJaree Canady. Then the crown jewel: LaDamion Guyton, the five-star edge rusher ranked No. 2 overall in 2027. On3 says the Red Raiders bagged him with a $3.5 million structured NIL package.
The roster reflects it. In fact, On3 crowned Texas Tech with the No. 1 transfer class for 2025. 31 new bodies, including 13 former four-stars. That’s not just impressive, that’s scary. Toss that on top of Behren Morton’s 3,335 passing yards and 27 TDs last season, and you’ve got a playoff-caliber offense. Defense? Last year it was leaky, averaging 34-ish points on Saturdays. But with this $28 million war chest, they’ve stacked it with killers like Stanford’s David Bailey and Georgia Tech’s Romello Height. The same defense that was handing out touchdowns like Costco samples now looks like it’s ready to collect bills.
Looks like College football is headed for a caste system and a lot of programs with history are about to get clipped if they don’t modernize. Harsh? Maybe. Real? Absolutely. While smaller schools are sweating payroll, Texas Tech is fueled by billionaires who treat NIL like pocket money. And that’s the difference. The Red Raiders aren’t scared of SEC or Big Ten heavyweights. They’re saying: come see us in Lubbock. Bring your wallets, too.
With Oklahoma and Texas no longer at the Big 12, the Raiders get a really good shot at snatching the title sooner than later. ESPN already ranked Tech’s 2025 slate the fourth-easiest in the league. Vegas dropped the over/under at 8.5 wins, and the smart money is hammering the over. So when Campbell spills that the program is sitting on a $28 million war chest, it’s a warning shot. Joey McGuire’s squad is here to run the show.
Cody Campbell on Joey McGuire’s nature
Now, all this oil money and five-star frenzy would be wasted without the right man steering the ship. And that’s where Joey McGuire comes in. The ultimate culture-builder. The guy whose energy could light up all of West Texas. Campbell himself couldn’t stop praising the head coach, saying the transfers who rolled in instantly became leaders: “I’ve been absolutely blown away at how Joey’s been able to bring them together as a team. Many of those new transfers have emerged as some of the strongest leaders.” Campbell said.
McGuire’s track record proves it. Since taking over in 2022, he’s stacked three straight winning seasons, bowl wins, and the best Big 12 record Tech’s had since 2009. He’s the first coach in school history to post winning conference records in each of his first three seasons. Remember 2022? He walked in, beat both Texas and Oklahoma in the same year (first time ever), then smoked Ole Miss in the Texas Bowl.
But what makes McGuire different isn’t just the W’s. It’s how he builds his locker room. Campbell said it best: “The biggest thing with Joey is just his focus on relationships and culture, making sure everybody’s pulling the rope in the same direction. He has that high school coach background, and I think with today’s young people that’s maybe even more important than in the past. He genuinely cares about these kids. When you first meet him, you think there’s no way this is real. No way this guy cares this much about getting to know me, or has this much energy. He has a chance to go down as one of the best coaches in Tech history because he’s just such a great fit with the program and with the community.”
That’s the high school coach in him. He knows how to talk to players, get through to them, and make them feel like family. When recruits step into Lubbock, they don’t just see facilities and dollar signs. They feel Joey’s authenticity. And that’s priceless. Recruiting-wise, McGuire’s been leaning heavy on his Texas high school roots, and it’s paying off. Deep ties to the Texas High School Coaches Association mean he can walk into living rooms others can’t.
So yeah, money talks. But culture screams. Joey McGuire has both, and Cody Campbell’s putting his billions on that bet. As Campbell put it, when you meet McGuire, you might think, “No way this guy is real.” But the players? They know he is. And with $28 million in roster horsepower behind him, McGuire’s got a shot to etch his name alongside, or maybe even above, Mike Leach in Tech history.
The post Cody Campbell Just Let $28M Texas Tech Secret Spill as Joey McGuire’s Real Nature Revealed appeared first on EssentiallySports.