There’s a glaring issue with Texas Tech attendance — but will the excitement for the 2025 season fix it? I took an anonymous survey to find out.
Anyone who has watched a Texas Tech football game from inside Jones AT&T Stadium has noticed a glaring issue with student attendance. There’s no doubt that the Red Raiders create a chaotic atmosphere and pack the stadium every Saturday, but the students don’t stay. Our section thins out after halftime. Maybe its uninterested fans, heat, or any factor that goes with a college Saturdays. Whatever the reason, it’s frustrating. Fans love a rowdy atmosphere, but one that lasts for four quarters. So, I launched a survey to gauge student interest in the coming season.
Question 1: “How likely are you to attend every game held in the Jones this season?”
A promising 70% responded with, “Absolutely, every game.” That’s encouraging — because we can’t worry about people leaving early if they’re not showing up to begin with. Another 22% responded with “Likely,” bringing us to a solid 92% who at least plan to attend every game in Lubbock this season.
Question 2: “Are you excited for this season with all of the hype surrounding the Red Raiders?”
Almost three-quarters (73%) of the responses were “Yes.” That tells me the fanbase has a firm grasp on what is going on in the rapidly changing world of college football. It’s not just about bodies in seats; it’s about people who actually care about what’s happening on the tortilla-covered turf.
The most interesting responses came to question 3: “If Texas Tech has a theme for a game, will you participate?”
This one shocked me: a full 40 out of 40 said yes. One hundred percent. Red Raiders want themes, and they’ll participate. If theme nights are what it takes to keep 60,000 people in their seats until the buzzer — bring it on!
Question 4: “How likely are you to stay after halftime?”
A $55 million roster should keep people under the lights—but here’s what the Red Raiders said: 47.5% said “Definitely,” and 37.5% said “Likely.” That’s 85% who say they’ll stick it out to the end. It’s not perfect — but it’d be an increase from previous years.
Obviously, we won’t know if these numbers reflect reality until the games kick off — but they give us an optimistic starting point. Survey takers added their own comments — all expressing excitement. One student wrote, “This football team has me more excited to go back to school than I’ve ever been!” Another humorously quipped: “It’s like that feeling when you’re opening gifts on Christmas, hoping for something amazing, but you know there is a chance that it could always be socks.”
Bottom line: At some level, it seems all Red Raiders are excited for the fall. We can hope attendance matches what was reported in the survey — but we’ll have to wait and see how it plays out in reality.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of The Rivalry Report.