MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2005
KANSAS TEXAS TECH
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 51
Fans bash Lubbock
BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS
mphillips@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
LUBBOCK, Texas — When Jayhawk fans take road trips to support their team, they often pick glamorous destinations such as Austin, Texas, or Boulder, Colo., — certainly not Lubbock, Texas.
The KU fans who filled the two smallest sections of the Jones SBC Stadium were a mix of family members, alumni who live in west Texas and die-hard fans.
Among attendees, the city drew comparisons to another Big 12 Conference locale.
"It's almost worse than Manhattan," KU student Blake Ferrel said. "Only almost, though."
What's there to do when in Lubbock? "Keep going," advised a gas station attendant in Amarillo, Texas, which is two hours north of Lubbock.
The city is located along the west Texas plains, which offer vast expanses of nothingness as far as the eye can see.
Drivers are guided by a string of high school football stadiums that light the way, with Jones SBC Stadium in Lubbock towering over them all.
Football is king in this part of
Tony Gutierrez/ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Texas Tech quarterback Cody Hodges prepares to make a pass as Kansas senior defensive end Charlton Keith applies pressure in the fourth quarter of the 30-17 Texas Tech victory on Saturday.
the country, which explains why the stadium will soon expand to more than 62,000 seats.
The stadium currently holds 53,000 fans.
The city is dry, meaning no liquor stores exist within city limits.
That didn't put a damper on tailgating.
Open fields near the stadium quickly filled up with cars and grills, including a tent for the Jayhawk fans.
"We are going on all the road trips this year," said Mike Davis, senior vice president of the KU Alumni Association.
"This is the first time the alumni association has done that." He said he expected 70 to 75 people to stop by the tent, which held its own with the Red Raider parties in every category except attendance.
For most Jayhawk fans, a 12-hour drive was just too much, but for Gary McCullough and Kyle Beran, it meant a game they could attend.
McCullough and Beran live in the Midland, Texas, area, just two hours south of Lubbock.
"It's not always easy to follow the team, because they don't put any of the games on TV." Beran said. "We can follow basketball, because all those games are televised."
"The two enjoyed the area and said that residents were friendly.
For McCullough, it was a big difference from growing up in Los Angeles.
"I think Midwesterners in general are just very cordial," he said.
Davis and the alumni association travelers will get another opportunity to see another part of the state next month, when the Jayhawks travel to Austin, Texas, to play the Longhorns.
"We'll have a lot of people at the Texas game," Davis said. "People perceive Austin as having more to do."
- Edited by Nate Karlin
Tony Gutierrez/ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Texas Tech receiver Robert Johnson and Kansas junior cornerback Charles Gordon compete for a tipped ball in the third quarter Saturday. Neither player made the catch in the 30-17 Texas Tech win.
Tony Gutierrez/ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kansas wide receiver Mark Simmons is taken down after making a reception by Texas Tech safety Vincent Meeks in the second quarter Saturday.
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