LUBBOCK, TX – Texas Tech University announced a major overhaul to its intercollegiate athletics fundraising strategy on Tuesday, signaling a new era in college sports by merging its Red Raider Club with the Matador Club and preparing to implement a university-led revenue sharing model.
The integration, which takes effect July 1, comes on the heels of the finalized NCAA House Settlement, which allows schools to distribute up to $20.5 million annually in revenue directly to student-athletes. Texas Tech plans to fund $14 million of that through private contributions raised by the Red Raider Club, with the rest coming from university investments and athletics-generated income.
“The Red Raider Club will now lead the effort to provide annual funding for revenue sharing, scholarships, and programs to enhance the student-athlete experience,” said Athletics Director Kirby Hocutt. “Texas Tech will continue to be a national leader in this new era of college athletics.”
Supporters can continue giving through the newly unified Red Raider Club, either as monthly donors or annual contributors. The Matador Club, previously Texas Tech’s official NIL collective, will now serve as the primary revenue share fund under the Red Raider Club.
To administer the new structure, Texas Tech has established a Revenue Share Administration Unit led by longtime athletics compliance executive Justin Opperman. The unit will handle NIL agreement execution, annual cap monitoring, and third-party NIL reporting.
Texas Tech has also partnered with AthletiQ Media, a branch of Primitive, to lead digital engagement and fundraising strategy for the Red Raider Club. AthletiQ played a key role in establishing and growing the Matador Club and will now expand its efforts to support donor engagement and storytelling around NIL and revenue sharing.
Other updates include:
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Red Raider NIL Exchange, an online marketplace connecting businesses and donors directly with student-athletes for NIL deals.
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Enhanced financial literacy programming, led by the J.T. and Margaret Talkington Department for Student-Athlete Development, to educate athletes on budgeting, taxes, and wealth strategies.
“We are giving fans and donors a single, unified place to give,” said Andrea Tirey, senior associate athletics director. “This unified platform directly impacts recruitment, retention, and overall support of our student-athletes.”
Texas Tech plans to release more information later this summer as it ramps up its fundraising goals and enters a new chapter in collegiate athletics.
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