LUBBOCK, Texas — No. 7 BYU and No. 8 Texas Tech are set to battle in the first top 10 matchup in the Big 12 since 2021, with Cougar fans eagerly anticipating the result.
ESPN’s College GameDay is in Lubbock for the first time since 2008, and BYU fans from all over the United States made sure to support its team.
“I’m from Arizona … I drove out, about 700 miles,” said one fan. “I had some tire problems, I didn’t know my tires were out until I started driving out here.”
ESPN analyst Pat McAfee wasted no time in firing up the Texas Tech crowd pregame, ripping off his shirt and giving the crowd the trademarked “Guns Up.”
.@PatMcAfeeShow's pre-show energy is everything 🔥🤣 pic.twitter.com/7t5cBEfdQh
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 8, 2025
With one of the biggest College GameDay crowds this season, BYU fans want to make their voices heard.
“There’s not that many BYU fans here yet,” said one fan. “They will be here, they always show up.”
College GameDay has always been a time for fans to playfully poke fun at the other schools traditions and culture, it’s no different in Lubbock.
“We both turned 70 two weeks ago,” one fan said about himself and her husband. “[This game] is our 70th birthday celebration. We met at BYU, and then got married.”
This pivotal top ten matchup has given BYU fans the chance to prove that they do travel.
"We drove 14 hours," one fan said. "We pick one game a year and here we are, one of the biggest games in BYU history."
Although this game could catapult BYU even higher in the College Football Playoff landscape, the Cougars can afford to lose this game they win out.
Many BYU fans said they haven't been to a game with stakes this big in their entire lives.
“We have a history of playing in big conference games," one fan said. "I'm hoping for a win."
The environment in Lubbock has been incredible, with students camping outside AT&T Stadium since the previous Sunday.
About 40 tents are lined up outside Jones AT&T Stadium — and more students are still rolling in, five days before game-day against BYU. pic.twitter.com/K5IELUKb2J
— KeithInglisDT (@KeithInglisDT) November 4, 2025
BYU looks to control its own destiny and prove itself a contender in the Big 12 behind a faithful Cougar fanbase.
If BYU can pull off a win in Lubbock, it would be a day to remember for these die-hard Cougar fans.