At a Glance
- Cody Campbell, Texas Tech board chairman, calls for a new congressional agency to oversee college sports revenue.
- He wants Congress to rewrite the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act, unlocking an extra $7 billion per year in TV rights.
- Campbell’s plan aims to protect women’s and Olympic sports while keeping Texas Tech’s programs thriving.
- Why it matters: It could reshape how college athletics generates money and supports non-revenue sports nationwide.
Cody Campbell, a West Texas oilman and former Red Raider, has poured $25 million into Texas Tech’s football stadium and more than $60 million into player benefits through the Matador Club. He argues that the current amateur model is unsustainable and that a new, revenue-maximizing structure is needed.
Background & Vision
Cody Campbell grew up in Canyon, Texas, played offensive line for Texas Tech in the early 2000s, and spent a year with the Indianapolis Colts in 2005. He built a fortune through real estate and oil, selling four iterations of Double Eagle Energy for about $13 billion. His wealth has allowed him to singlehandedly shift Texas Tech athletics.
- Oil and real-estate ventures
- $13 billion in company sales
- $25 million stadium donation
- $60 million player-benefit fund
Congressional Proposal
Cody Campbell says Congress should create a new agency that can commercialize college sports. He argues that rewriting the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act would let conferences pool TV rights, adding roughly $7 billion annually.
Cody Campbell said:
> “For Texas Tech, the best thing that could happen is the whole thing continues to be chaotic.”
Cody Campbell added:
> “We have professionalized the cost side of college sports, but we’re still running this amateur revenue-generation program.”
Cody Campbell said:
> “Congress needs to set up a system of governance that empowers them to make commercial decisions so they can maximize their value.”
| Aspect | Current | Proposed |
|---|---|---|
| TV rights | Individual conference deals | Unified pool |
| Governance | NCAA & conference commissioners | Congressional agency with multiple commissioners |
| Revenue focus | Amateur revenue model | Commercialized revenue maximization |
Critics & Supporters
The SEC’s Greg Sankey says Campbell’s views reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of college athletics. Joey McGuire, Texas Tech coach, says Campbell is smarter than the commissioners.
Greg Sankey said:
> “His views reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the realities of college athletics.”
Joey McGuire said:
> “I know some of the commissioners have not necessarily agreed with them and don’t think he sees the big picture. But when you’re in the room, you’ll understand. He’s smarter than you.”
Cody Campbell said:
> “I would say, ‘How many private equity deals have you done?’ I’ve done a dozen or more. ‘How many times have you issued a public bond or financed a multimillion-dollar project?’ I’ve done it quite a lot. Did you actually play major college football?”
Political Alignment
Campbell aligns with President Trump’s “Saving College Sports” order and with Senator Maria Cantwell’s bill to even out conference revenue. He also supports the SCORE Act as a launching point, though he disagrees with key provisions.
Maria Cantwell said:
> “One is making sure the top two (conferences) don’t run away with all the money. And secondly, I think he sees this as a way to even out the resources across all schools so we can still have ‘Any Given Saturday.'”
Cody Campbell said:
> “I don’t think that many people who’ve been following sports for an amount of time think the NCAA is the right entity to be given a huge amount of additional power to override state law and be exempt from any kind of lawsuits.”
Impact on Women’s & Olympic Sports
Campbell cites internal polling that shows more than 85% of Americans want women’s and Olympic sports preserved. He warns that without reforms, these programs could disappear.
Cody Campbell said:
> “And 85% of Americans don’t agree on anything. The reality is, if we don’t make some reforms and we’re not careful, those sports are going to go away.”
Key Takeaways
- A new congressional agency could unlock $7 billion annually in TV revenue.
- Campbell’s plan aims to protect non-revenue sports while boosting Texas Tech’s programs.
- Critics argue the proposal misunderstands college athletics’ realities.
Cody Campbell’s push for a new agency and TV-rights overhaul could reshape how college sports generate money and support women’s and Olympic programs nationwide.
