Gameday Feature: Thursday Night Lights

Few things liken to an autumn gameday on the South Plains. For more than 90 years, the pageantry and the spectacle of the environment have held a particular reverence to those who call this unique place home. The celebration is football. The heart that gives it life is Texas Tech.

These special moments possess a certain magic all in their own. And there are few places, anywhere, where the energy radiates quite like a West Texas gameday. It's called Raiderland. And the spirit of scarlet and black weaves its way through nine decades, still producing and displaying what we all see today.

And tonight, in a rare Thursday battle inside Jones AT&T Stadium, that scenery will all play out once again as the Red Raiders play host to one of the unique traditions in college football.

"It's all about the spectacle," longtime Red Raider Rodney Allison says. "The saddle tramps, The Goin' Band, the Masked Rider and its entrance to the sold out stadium, it all goes together. For me, it's always been about that. I think that is the reason we are so recognizable."

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Allison is certainly intimately familiar with the Raiderland environment and all that it entails. As a Red Raider quarterback, coach and now administrator, Allison has ingested the gameday from nearly every angle.

Tonight, the Raiderland show will see Texas Tech face Kansas at Jones AT&T Stadium in front of a nationally televised audience on Fox Sports 1. The national television audience, including Thursday night games, is one that has become quite familiar for the Red Raiders, as the team has asserted itself as an annual contender in the Big 12 Conference and national picture.

Meanwhile, the environment inside Jones AT&T Stadium has coincided, earning a reputation as one of the most intimidating stadiums in all of college football.

"Our fans are always incredible," said Texas Tech head coach and former Red Raider quarterback Kliff Kingsbury. "So I really see it as more of a chance for the rest of the country to see how great the gameday atmosphere is here, week in and week out."

Since 2002, the Red Raiders have compiled an impressive 37-10 record in night games at Jones AT&T Stadium, including knocking off two top-5 teams under the lights during that span.

Tech's modern-era home field dominance commenced during Kingsbury's senior season as the Red Raider signal caller. That 2002 season, he helped mold Tech's identity as a high-octane offensive force, throwing for more than 5,000 yards and 45 touchdowns.

As head coach, Kingsbury has guided Tech to an impressive 13-7 record at home, including a 2-0 mark this year. In the Red Raiders' 69-17 victory over Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 4, a sea of 60,097 scarlet and black fans packed the stadium marking the second-largest crowd to witness a season-opener in school history.

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"It's incredible," Kingsbury said. "And something all Red Raiders should take great pride in. My friends within the industry always tell me how difficult it is to play here. Our fans have created this atmosphere. Our players absolutely love playing in front of our home crowd."

The unique environment surrounding Jones AT&T Stadium is something Allison took deep pride in as a player as well. Ask about his career as quarterback from 1975-77, and he quickly reminisces the Saturday walks from his student house, across University Avenue, and into the Jones Stadium locker room.

After meeting with his family, the well-known quarterback would take that route and often stop to speak with students and friends along the way.

It's a scene that could only play out in Raiderland.

"It goes back to the fabric of West Texas," Allison said. "There's a relationship with the players and fans. It feels like players really know the fans. It's something special."

Allison and the Red Raiders certainly put on a show at Jones AT&T Stadium. Tech went 17-5 at home during his career from 1974-77 – including three victories over ranked opponents and a now legendary victory over No. 15 Texas in front of 54,000 fans in 1976.

Allison went on to take a coaching role with the Red Raiders after his career on the field. He'd go on to take similar roles across college football including Duke, Southern Mississippi, Auburn and Clemson. He also served as head coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga for six seasons.

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Yet in all those stints, he's never experienced anything quite like a Raiderland Gameday. And he is especially looking forward to the Thursday night edition.

"The entire focus is on these two universities," Allison said. "The spotlight is even more on you. It's a great opportunity for our town, our team and our university to show itself."

Yes, the Red Raiders are set to defend their home field and Raiderland once again. This time, the national spotlight will be on Lubbock in primetime.

It's an opportunity something Kingsbury and the Red Raiders are set to embrace.

"You can't place a value on that exposure," Kingsbury said. "A full and rocking Jones AT&T Stadium on a Thursday night with the national spotlight shows the rest of the country what we're about here at Texas Tech. It highlights our fan support, the community and our incredible student body. We know what kind of atmosphere we have here, but being able to show it off to the country is a great opportunity.

Texas Tech University Athletics

Gameday Feature: Thursday Night Lights

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