Name-a-Day Calendar, September 1: Texas Tech Red Raiders

Page 299 of 365

Chosen in: 1936

Chosen by: Lubbock Morning Avalanche sports editor Collier Parrish

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Texas Technological College (known colloquially as Texas Tech from the jump) was founded in 1923¹ and began intercollegiate athletics in 1925. According to the university, upon the formation of their athletics program, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram suggested that their nickname be the Dogies; a “dogie” is a motherless calf. This would have been a rather weird nickname, even for college sports,² so Texas Tech declined the offer and went with the mascot suggested by the wife of football head coach Ewing Young Freeland: the matador, based on the Spanish architecture throughout the school’s campus.

This led to the student body choosing scarlet and black as their school colors in 1926, as those were the traditional colors of a matador’s cape and costume, respectively. Texas Tech accordingly began wearing all-scarlet football uniforms, which eventually led to the nickname we know them by today.

In 1936, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal sports editor Collier Parrish began calling Texas Tech’s football team the Red Raiders on account of these all-scarlet uniforms. This stuck and eventually spread to all Texas Tech sports teams.

Today, Texas Tech has two primary mascots: the costumed, shotgun-wielding Raider Red (debuted in 1971) and the live Masked Rider (debuted in 1936).

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1. Became Texas Tech University in 1969

2. Maybe not for Minor League Baseball though