LUBBOCK, Texas – Below is a transcription of an interview between KLBK’s Matt Stell and Texas Tech Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt.
Matt Stell:
Do you think the actual competition on the field, track, court, diamond, etc., has benefited from NIL?
Kirby Hocutt, Texas Tech Athletic Director:
Yeah, Matt that’s a really good question. I will say that I believe college athletics has never been better. Just look at performance on the field. These young people continue to enhance their strength, their speed their ability, year after year. You look at the interest in viewership on television and it’s higher than it’s ever been. You look at attendance and how it’s rebounded since COVID. It’s at an all time high. Already for the 2024 football season, we at Texas Tech have sold over 1,500 new season football tickets for this coming season. With the construction at Jones AT&T Stadium, we will have 101 suites next year, all occupied with already a waiting list for those suites. So the demand and the interest has never been stronger.