Meet Raider Riot, Texas Tech Basketball Fans Who Live to Troll Opponents

They're loud. They're proud. And they wear speedos. Meet the Texas Tech students who do everything they can to get into an opponent's head.

Founded in 2016 and billed as "Texas Tech's elite student section," Raider Riot has really stepped up their game (no pun intended) this basketball season, recently donning banana hammocks, fish net stockings and little else to get in the heads of Texas Tech's opponents at the United Supermarkets Arena.

We're not saying that Raider Riot was the deciding factor that led to Texas Tech basketball smashing West Virginia by 31 points, but it certainly didn't hurt.

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A member of the group, Wes Law, explained the origins of the group and how they recruit new members, in a December 2019 interview with Staking the Plains.

"Raider Riot began when myself and a handful of other guys decided to go to every game, snag the front row, and go crazy every game during Coach Beard’s first year," Law explained to the site. "It began as just something we did simply because we loved Texas Tech and we loved basketball."

Eventually, the group got noticed by SportsCenter. Then, the Texas Tech Athletic Department reached out to them "because they liked how we got publicity and how we helped build energy at games."

The name 'Raider Riot,' however,only became a thing in 2018.

"[2018] was the year we all finally agreed to give the student section a name and make the USA a notorious place to play, Law said. "After some meetings we came up with the name Raider Riot and have worked on building up the identity since."

Since then, the group has only grown, adding fans from the student section "who are going crazy" at games. The goal, ultimately, is for everyone to be part of Raider Riot.

"The main goal is to not have “Raider Riot” not just be the first 2 rows of every section, though," Law told Staking the Plains. "Everyone is a part of Raider Riot in the end and we want people to know that. Whether you’re sitting in the front row or in the back row, you’re a part of Raider Riot and we want to get everyone to go crazy."

Raider Riot already has a plan for the rest of the team's home schedule.

On February 16th against Baylor, members will come dressed in pajamas. The Kansas Jayhawks can look forward to a White Out (AKA Game of Thrones Night) on February 23rd. Then, it's Raider Riot Night on February 27th against Oklahoma Cowboys. Finally, Raider Riot will end the team's home season schedule against the Texas Longhorns with a Black Out.