Raider Red Brings a National Championship Home to Lubbock

Get our free mobile app

Well, it looks like Raider Red has managed to do something that Chris Beard could never accomplish during his time at Texas Tech: win a National Championship.

That's right, the iconic and cherished mascot of our beloved Texas Tech Red Raiders is a champion.

This past weekend in Daytona Beach, Raider Red took home the crown in the mascot division at the National Cheerleaders Association and National Dance Alliance Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championships. Raider Red bested 2nd place finisher, Sammy the Bearkat from Sam Houston State University, with a score of 94.27.

According to a press release from Texas Tech University, Raider Red scored his title after a Toy Story-themed skit that incorporated various props into the routine. The skit was judged based on characterization, skit creativity, crowd leading, dance, prop effectiveness and overall performance.

Coincidentally, Raider Red's win comes as Texas Tech celebrates the 50th anniversary of introducing him back in 1971. At the time, the Southwest Conference (which Texas Tech was a member of) forbade bringing live animal mascots to away games, which kept our illustrious Masked Rider from making appearances at road games.

Raider Red was then created as a way to ensure that the school would always have a mascot representing the Red Raiders at home and on the road.

Raider Red joins such legends as Marsha Sharp, the Texas Tech Meat Judging Team, the Pom Squad, the 2006 Men's Polo Team and the 2012 Women's Rodeo Team in bringing national gold to Lubbock. I'm sure there are other championships that I've missed. However, I mentioned the meat judging team and now I really want lunch.

Wreck 'Em Tech!