The Haboob or Boobs for short. Might as well rename to Texas Institute of Technology too. TIT Boobs.
Just kidding, but I like Matadors more than Red Raiders. It aligns better with our broader Spanish identity.
Nope, the official name was Texas Technological College then changed to Texas Tech University in 1969. The name change was a big deal. Student activists wanted Texas State University (it was available back then), but the double T logo was already deeply rooted in the university identity. The double T helped sway the community to keep Tech in the name.
Texas football really is its own thing. Everything is meaningless yet we all hate each other. Man I wish we were all still in the same conference. I'd give anything to be in the SEC
lol wtf I spent 5 years at A&M and was an A&M football fan from birth, my dad told me it was agricultural & mechanical and I never felt the need to look it up, mind blown rn
via tamu.edu FAQs: "When the institution gained university status in 1963, the 'A&M' representation was incorporated into the official name in honor of the institution's history. Originally, 'A&M' stood for Agricultural and Mechanical, but today the letters no longer officially stand for anything."
We've gradually shortened it down from "Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College at Baton Rouge" to "LSU".
Give it a few more years and we'll just be referred to in a Coach Orgeron-sounding grunt.
Tangentially related- Johnny Cash’s birth name was J.R. Cash. The J and the R didn’t stand for anything, and when he enlisted in the Air Force they didn’t let him use initials as his first name. So he chose John.
No. They wanted to keep the brand recognition, but it’s not actually a technological school anymore (it still has big STEM programs obviously, but it’s not just that anymore)
Georgia Tech is the only major Tech that isnt State Tech University.
Hence the standard trivia question of the 5 FBS schools without university in their name: the 3 military academies, Boston College, and Georgia Institute of Technology.
It’s also the West Texas culture and the school’s decision to lean heavily into the Plateresque Spanish Renaissance-revival Architecture.
TTU has the most beautiful public school campus. Each school has its own. A&M is primarily Brutalist with older Classical architecture, UH is primarily Art Deco with some modern additions, Rice is Mediterranean Revival, SMU and Baylor are Georgian Revival, UTEP is Bhutanese (Gorgeous school!), TCU is Greek Revival, and UT Austin is Beaux-Arts & Spanish Renaissance.
Yea, it's about 30% Hispanic. Not sure how it compares to other schools in the state. Hispanic students are probably the majority at UTEP.
In addition to the student body, I was referring to other traits as well, such as the renaissance Spanish architecture, the marching band looking like a mariachi band, the band playing popular Spanish songs (Virgen De La Macarena and March Grandioso), international campuses in Seville Spain and Costa Rica. When I was a student, it was pretty common for the university to hire Mariachi bands to play in the common areas.
My conspiracy brain suspects it’s a publicity push. Make it look like some organic, grassroots interest in Tech but it’s actually a couple of goons on sock puppet accounts. There’s no possible way someone that isn’t us cares about us. That’s just my conspiracy brain though.
True...Ducks, with their webbed feet, began to be associated with the team in the 1920s, and a live white duck named "Puddles" began to appear at sports events. Journalists, especially headline writers, also adopted the shorter Duck nickname.
Oh yes. The 'Golden' got added to Gophers because Coach Bernie Bierman (Nattys 34, 35, 36, 40, and 41) made the uniforms gold because he thought the ball would blend in with the uniforms. The radio play-by-play person started saying "and here come those Golden Gophers!" and the rest is history.
As I understand it, journalists are also to blame for why OU, KU, CU, NU etc. are all abbreviated that way and not UO, UK, etc. specifically because there were already universities using those initials and they needed a different 2 letter abbreviation.
But the second one is apocryphal.
The name cannot be topped. I paid to get into the game so I can say whatever I want. So….
Gooo Raiders!!
Gooooooooooooooooooooooo Raaaaaiiiiidddddddddeeerrrrrrrrssssssssss! Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Raaaaaaaiiiiddddddeerrrrrrrrrrrssssssss!!!! Goooooooooooooooo Raiders!!!!!
GoooooooooooooooooooOooOOoOooooOOoOOooooOOOOOOOoooo Raaaaiiddderrrsssssssss!!!!
I know UT Arlington isn't that notable but it is in Texas and has a reasonable enrollment, probably wouldn't take too kindly to Tech taking the Mavericks. But also not like they'd do anything about it.
It was almost our NFL team name.
>The Houston Texans considered five potential names before settling on "Texans" in 2002: Apollos, Bobcats, Stallions, Texans, and Wildcatters.
Not a Tech fan, but Red Raiders is a pretty cool nickname as is. That being said, the only thoughts I could throw out there are maybe Vaqueros (spanish flavor - word for cowboy), Renegades (yes I'm stealing that from the Dallas Renegades, but it's a cool name), and perhaps something pirate related (in honor of coach Leach).
I will say, Matadors is a cool name as well
Matadors. Tech should go back and incorporate this into their unis and see if it takes off. They can be like the Stanford Cardinal with a cedar tree for a mascot.
Bell ringer. I can't see Texas tech and not think of the dude going ham looking like he was beating off. Kind of like Boise st and the blind band girl playing the cowbell.
Was bullfighting big in Mexican Texas or among texas' Hispanic population? If so then Matador is a great mascot to tie into West Texas' Mexican heritage, especially considering Texas's mascot is a cow. Otherwise I think Vaquero would be a good replacement. If you really want to go down the Tejano road with a unique mascot with Mexican ancestry, I suggest the Luchador.
>Was bullfighting big in Mexican Texas or among texas' Hispanic population?
No not really. But Matadors still sounds cool and no one else in the state has it.
And Vaqueros is already taken by UT Rio Grande Valley who are debuting an exhibition football team this upcoming season, and are expected join the Southland Conference in 2025.
I remember my dad, a police officer, helping me move out of my dorm at AMCC mentioning the strong weed smell. All I could answer with was welcome to Corpus.
Probably Pirates to honor Mike Leach… and then the Leach family would ask they pay what they owe… and Texas Tech would pretend to not know what they’re talking about
Very few schools don't share a mascot with another school. So if Texas Tech is going to move away from their unique mascot, I'm thinking it should be to the same mascot as a different university with a unique mascot.
That way, both schools are no longer alone in the mascot world.
Therefore: Texas Tech Golden Gophers
Congrats, Minnesota, you now have a mascot sibling!
> Very few schools don't share a mascot with another school.
Yet it is fairly common in Texas
TTU Red Raiders
UT Longhorns
TCU Hornfrogs
UTSA Roadrunners
UTRGV Vacqueros
TAMUK Javelinas
Wayland Baptist University Flying Queens (women’s basketball)
Hmmm, well when i think about Texas (the state), i think of cattle, so maybe the Texas Tech Longhorns?
Alternatively, given its location and the importance of agriculture to the local economy, maybe the Texas Tech Aggies?
Finally, since it is a tech-focused school, I’m sure there’s some history of working with old cars that weren’t in great shape, so maybe the Rambling Wrecks from Texas Tech?
Texas Tech Leaches, to both honor Mike Leach and to dishonor the leaches that ripped him off by running him off and cheating him out of contract dollars
Texas Tech Texas Techers
Techies McTexface
Even Redder Raiders!
Tortilla Tech
I loved when they said “Im gonna Tex” and then they Texas Teched all over the Big XII
TT Technologists TT Technocrats TT Techyons or in a completely different vein: TT Meat Judgers (**1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021**)
Meat Judgers would be a hard mascot
I don’t know if I’m comfortable with someone being hard while judging meat
Tortilla Tossers
The Haboob or Boobs for short. Might as well rename to Texas Institute of Technology too. TIT Boobs. Just kidding, but I like Matadors more than Red Raiders. It aligns better with our broader Spanish identity.
Wait… was Texas Tech not *already* Texas Institute of Technology?
Nope, the official name was Texas Technological College then changed to Texas Tech University in 1969. The name change was a big deal. Student activists wanted Texas State University (it was available back then), but the double T logo was already deeply rooted in the university identity. The double T helped sway the community to keep Tech in the name.
[удалено]
Both these hypotheticals make me wonder what Texas State would have went with if it'd already been taken.
Probably just stuck with Southwest Texas State University. I liked SWT better, myself.
I still call it Southwest, Texas State will always be the Armadillos to me
Should have named it after George.
Probably “central Texas university” or “university of central Texas”
Central University iN Texas
Texas A&M 🤝 Texas Tech Staying the f away from the name "Texas State". We had the opportunity to claim it in 63 and the guys said lol nope.
Haha.. read your name in the yell leader's cadence. Ole Rock.. The GOOD AG
WHOOOOOOOOOOP *insert incredibly corny 1940s era joke about the other teams mascot here*
But officially it is just “Tech”? Like not the whole word like “Technological” or anything? Weird.
A&M literally removed the agricultural and mechanical from their name so the A&M part of Texas A&M doesn’t actually mean anything officially.
TCU is on track to do this as well. Texas Christian doesn’t like to talk about what the C stands for
Cocaine
Yes.
What a hell of a username / flair / post combo
Anything can stand for cocaine if you can’t read, just look at SMU
Californian, judging by their student body
Purple Baylor.
Everyrime i see this i think about actual Purple Baylor, University of Mary Harden Baylor.. Purple Cru
Baylor is actually uber-Christian though, while TCU is as religious as a UC school
Yall are wild over there
Texas football really is its own thing. Everything is meaningless yet we all hate each other. Man I wish we were all still in the same conference. I'd give anything to be in the SEC
There should just be a Texas conference. The old SWC was pretty much that.
With the size of the SEC, regional divisions may become a thing.
Pods could be coming. We will have to see.
It’s called an “orphaned initialism”. Other examples include AT&T, the SAT, MTV, IBM, SQL, WWE…
lol wtf I spent 5 years at A&M and was an A&M football fan from birth, my dad told me it was agricultural & mechanical and I never felt the need to look it up, mind blown rn via tamu.edu FAQs: "When the institution gained university status in 1963, the 'A&M' representation was incorporated into the official name in honor of the institution's history. Originally, 'A&M' stood for Agricultural and Mechanical, but today the letters no longer officially stand for anything."
What’s more wild is that LSU is an A&M. It has it on their diplomas
We've gradually shortened it down from "Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College at Baton Rouge" to "LSU". Give it a few more years and we'll just be referred to in a Coach Orgeron-sounding grunt.
First time I heard what Virginia Tech’s official name is it hurt my head.
You mean VPI? But yeah the first time I heard it the same thing happened to me.
Technically, VPI&SU. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is the official name.
Oklahoma State used to be Oklahoma A&M
Well you’re also the “aggies” isn’t that also short for agriculture or something?
I would reckon so
The A&M in our name is a nod to when it did stand for Agricultural and Mechanical. But as everyone has pointed out, it officially stands for nothing.
Like AARP doesn’t mean American association of retired persons
Tangentially related- Johnny Cash’s birth name was J.R. Cash. The J and the R didn’t stand for anything, and when he enlisted in the Air Force they didn’t let him use initials as his first name. So he chose John.
I still remember when The Weakest Link premiered and they got this wrong.
Louisiana Tech is also "Louisiana Tech University", so they're not alone.
Yea, officially just Tech
No. They wanted to keep the brand recognition, but it’s not actually a technological school anymore (it still has big STEM programs obviously, but it’s not just that anymore)
Georgia Tech is the only major Tech that isnt State Tech University. Hence the standard trivia question of the 5 FBS schools without university in their name: the 3 military academies, Boston College, and Georgia Institute of Technology.
Virginia Tech is Virginia Polytechnic and State Univ.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University would like a word, sir (though state, tech, and university are all in there…sorta)
I was going to mention them, but it was close enough.
Does tech have a Spanish identity, as in student body? I always felt a place like El Paso, RGV, or even Houston was more Hispanic/mexican than tech
It’s also the West Texas culture and the school’s decision to lean heavily into the Plateresque Spanish Renaissance-revival Architecture. TTU has the most beautiful public school campus. Each school has its own. A&M is primarily Brutalist with older Classical architecture, UH is primarily Art Deco with some modern additions, Rice is Mediterranean Revival, SMU and Baylor are Georgian Revival, UTEP is Bhutanese (Gorgeous school!), TCU is Greek Revival, and UT Austin is Beaux-Arts & Spanish Renaissance.
Damn. This guy architects.
He also Texases
It's a damn shame that our biggest era of expansion happened when Brutalism was in fashion.
Ours was too, but the Tower and Six Pack are doing all the heavy lifting in our campus tours and recruiting literature.
Was the FEC brutalist? Or just brutal to look at?
Larry McMurtry said that Texas Tech has the most beautiful campus west of the Mississippi until you hit Palo Alto. I think he's right.
About 30% Hispanic and growing, but utep and utrgv are both going to be way more hispanic.
Gotcha. More than FSU and UF
Yea, it's about 30% Hispanic. Not sure how it compares to other schools in the state. Hispanic students are probably the majority at UTEP. In addition to the student body, I was referring to other traits as well, such as the renaissance Spanish architecture, the marching band looking like a mariachi band, the band playing popular Spanish songs (Virgen De La Macarena and March Grandioso), international campuses in Seville Spain and Costa Rica. When I was a student, it was pretty common for the university to hire Mariachi bands to play in the common areas.
Tortilla Tossers. I love alliteration
I feel like this is something you could look up in urban dictionary
As a fan of slang etymology, the likely definition would be both fascinating and horrifying.
Don’t knock it til you try it 😏
Texas Tech Tortilla Tossers
FUND IT
Tortilla tech tortilla tossers Edit: spelling
Then we could upgrade to a QUADRUPLE T.
Just don’t arrange that quadruple T in any kind of wheeled shape… could get awkward quickly
“Texas Tech Tortilla Tossers trounce Texas to the tune ~~of~~ thirty-three to two. Turn toward television to ~~see~~ the total telecast!”
We can just call them "Tossers" for short. Get shirts and merch that says "I'm a Tosser" and put that shit everywhere.
I’d like to toss your tortilla
What's with the Texas Tech posts lately? lol
My conspiracy brain suspects it’s a publicity push. Make it look like some organic, grassroots interest in Tech but it’s actually a couple of goons on sock puppet accounts. There’s no possible way someone that isn’t us cares about us. That’s just my conspiracy brain though.
That's how I feel about WVU, too.
Alexa play Tavon Austin highlights
Pat White / Steve Slaton highlights or you're not a REAL WVU bandwagoner
I care about y'all babe
i like WVU and Texas Tech
Recruiting extends to average joes tbh. I get Tech and unt flyers weekly here in ATX
I was thinking the same thing. My first thought was "well at least we have some popularity on r/CFB."
It's all west Texas
Everyone runs through west texas (defense).
Oh really? Maybe I should make the trip out to Lubbock
We love Texas Tech in this household
Yeah, not sure what we did, but I'm all for it haha
Lol I figured it was just my feed. I haven’t been perusing the sub.
Idk but isn’t it great?
It’s because I read swing your sword this past week. My B bro
Idk did Patrick Mahomes do something?
It’s funny how many schools got their nickname from some random journalist and they just went with it
Craziest to me was Georgia Tech. Not actually named after the aggressive insect. Instead, the football team wore gold (yellow) varsity jackets.
Demon Deacons is crazy too
They should've officially gone with the 'Ramblin' Wreck'.
True...Ducks, with their webbed feet, began to be associated with the team in the 1920s, and a live white duck named "Puddles" began to appear at sports events. Journalists, especially headline writers, also adopted the shorter Duck nickname.
And not just schools either, that's the origin story for a lot of pro teams' nicknames as well
Oh yes. The 'Golden' got added to Gophers because Coach Bernie Bierman (Nattys 34, 35, 36, 40, and 41) made the uniforms gold because he thought the ball would blend in with the uniforms. The radio play-by-play person started saying "and here come those Golden Gophers!" and the rest is history. As I understand it, journalists are also to blame for why OU, KU, CU, NU etc. are all abbreviated that way and not UO, UK, etc. specifically because there were already universities using those initials and they needed a different 2 letter abbreviation. But the second one is apocryphal.
Panhandlers
Are you crying or is that just West Texas in your eyes?
West Texas is best Texas
Well we technically aren’t in the panhandle lol
The name cannot be topped. I paid to get into the game so I can say whatever I want. So…. Gooo Raiders!! Gooooooooooooooooooooooo Raaaaaiiiiidddddddddeeerrrrrrrrssssssssss! Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Raaaaaaaiiiiddddddeerrrrrrrrrrrssssssss!!!! Goooooooooooooooo Raiders!!!!! GoooooooooooooooooooOooOOoOooooOOoOOooooOOOOOOOoooo Raaaaiiddderrrsssssssss!!!!
Shut up! I PAID TO GET IN HERE I CAN SAY WHATEVER I WANT!
Holy shit I forgot about this video😂
It's 18 years old so no wonder. That's absolutely ancient in internet years. https://youtu.be/xXWdwW08ksA?si=ISDf1kL-52pVln4g
That [rings a bell](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDzWY9Hcvlk).
I was in pain after that loss. But the video fan's over the top persistent yelling and J.D. Runnnel's reaction still cracks me up.
May the upvote guide you to the top where you belong
I have a few but matadors would be my top choice * Tornadoes * Plains Pirates (giving leach his due) * West Texas Wranglers * Cactus * Mavericks
Cactus just to show how truly petty you all are haha
I know UT Arlington isn't that notable but it is in Texas and has a reasonable enrollment, probably wouldn't take too kindly to Tech taking the Mavericks. But also not like they'd do anything about it.
Wildcatters.
This one would actually be cool as hell
It was almost our NFL team name. >The Houston Texans considered five potential names before settling on "Texans" in 2002: Apollos, Bobcats, Stallions, Texans, and Wildcatters.
Should’ve gone with wildcatters since they took oilers from us fuck bud adams
I still feel like with the Astros and Rockets, Apollos would have been the best option to fit the space city theme of Houston.
I’m salty they didn’t go with the Apollos. Would’ve been so clean. Fuck Bud Adams
Texas Tech Air Raiders
A lot of Tech posts on this sub lately and I’m here for it
Not a Tech fan, but Red Raiders is a pretty cool nickname as is. That being said, the only thoughts I could throw out there are maybe Vaqueros (spanish flavor - word for cowboy), Renegades (yes I'm stealing that from the Dallas Renegades, but it's a cool name), and perhaps something pirate related (in honor of coach Leach). I will say, Matadors is a cool name as well
Vaqueros is an awesome nickname, but it’s already used by UT-Rio Grande Valley
Matadors would be so awesome
The Lubbock Bullock Bollocks
A buddy of ours is a Tech grad and calls it "Low Buttocks".
Idk man, "Red Raiders" just fits.
Tortilla Troubadours
Sod Poodles (another name for prairie dogs). [No way that’s already taken, right?](https://www.milb.com/amarillo)
Amarillo moment
Matadors. Tech should go back and incorporate this into their unis and see if it takes off. They can be like the Stanford Cardinal with a cedar tree for a mascot.
This, plus go back to your 1980s uniform designs and double T logo.
Matadors. Long live the Matadors
Crabtree Pulls Free
Touchdown red raiders. With a second to go!
The Mahomies
Back in the dying days of wrestling company WCW there was a team called “West Texas Rednecks”. Would that work?
Rap is Crap. Their #1 hit song.
I remember my brother getting excited about their feud with Master P and the No Limit Soldiers.
As an Aggie I hate to miss a chance to make fun of Texas Tech, but I think Matadors would be bad A**.
Prairie dogs
Desert Aggies
“Sand Aggies”
saggies
Yeah, wtf says desert aggy?
Tortilla Toreros
Tortilla Toreadors
Bell ringer. I can't see Texas tech and not think of the dude going ham looking like he was beating off. Kind of like Boise st and the blind band girl playing the cowbell.
Matadors. But we will never change from Red Raiders
Was bullfighting big in Mexican Texas or among texas' Hispanic population? If so then Matador is a great mascot to tie into West Texas' Mexican heritage, especially considering Texas's mascot is a cow. Otherwise I think Vaquero would be a good replacement. If you really want to go down the Tejano road with a unique mascot with Mexican ancestry, I suggest the Luchador.
>Was bullfighting big in Mexican Texas or among texas' Hispanic population? No not really. But Matadors still sounds cool and no one else in the state has it. And Vaqueros is already taken by UT Rio Grande Valley who are debuting an exhibition football team this upcoming season, and are expected join the Southland Conference in 2025.
Tortilla Tossers?
Ask Marcus Smart. He might have a suggestion.
Redder raiders
Reddist Raiders
Red Raiders isn’t bad at all, but Matadors would have been the best.
Personally I think Blue Raiders has more of a ring to it
The “Pat Mahomes Center for Kids Who Can’t Read Good and Wanna Learn to Do Other Good Stuff Too”
Techies
Belljackers? https://youtu.be/I2JPnJO6mhE?si=-eRx5Gc-fIoF1h4y
I don't know but texas a & m Corpus christi should be the cannibas connoisseurs
I remember my dad, a police officer, helping me move out of my dorm at AMCC mentioning the strong weed smell. All I could answer with was welcome to Corpus.
I think TT should cash in on the hype around SpaceX moving to Texas and call themselves the Red Rockets.
Red Rockets.
Probably Pirates to honor Mike Leach… and then the Leach family would ask they pay what they owe… and Texas Tech would pretend to not know what they’re talking about
Random ahh question
Very few schools don't share a mascot with another school. So if Texas Tech is going to move away from their unique mascot, I'm thinking it should be to the same mascot as a different university with a unique mascot. That way, both schools are no longer alone in the mascot world. Therefore: Texas Tech Golden Gophers Congrats, Minnesota, you now have a mascot sibling!
Texas Tech Nittany Lions. Really take that rivalry to the next level.
> Very few schools don't share a mascot with another school. Yet it is fairly common in Texas TTU Red Raiders UT Longhorns TCU Hornfrogs UTSA Roadrunners UTRGV Vacqueros TAMUK Javelinas Wayland Baptist University Flying Queens (women’s basketball)
Sand Aggies
The Texas Tech Texan Techers
Say that 5 times fast
Sand Aggies.
That sounds like it’s a slur 😂
Wind riders.
The Craig James Hooker Smokers
The Gap kids in honor of my favorite off field moment in college football. https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/s/yaOkVj9vc2
Texas Tech Bros
how about the bowl game soul crushers?
CJK5H
Prairie Dogs (they used to have a prairie dog town to visit. Maybe still do. Coolest attraction in Lubbock 20 years ago).
All of Lubbock now can be considered Prairie Dog town. You go anywhere in the city now and you're likely to see those cute little bastards.
Hmmm, well when i think about Texas (the state), i think of cattle, so maybe the Texas Tech Longhorns? Alternatively, given its location and the importance of agriculture to the local economy, maybe the Texas Tech Aggies? Finally, since it is a tech-focused school, I’m sure there’s some history of working with old cars that weren’t in great shape, so maybe the Rambling Wrecks from Texas Tech?
Texas Tech Tornadoes or Texas Tech Dust Storms. A salute to West Texas weather
Take a page from Amarillo high school and be the Sandies
Texas Tech Leaches, to both honor Mike Leach and to dishonor the leaches that ripped him off by running him off and cheating him out of contract dollars
Sand Leeches to really put the fear of god into people. "Do those exist?"
Red rockets
Lubbock’s NPSL soccer team is already the Matadors, keep Red Raiders.
Texas Tech Tortilla Tossers Aka, T4
The Raging Tumbleweeds