Raider Red Meats Hosts Texas State BBQ Championship This Weekend

If there’s one thing you can count on in West Texas, it’s that somebody is always willing to argue about who makes the best barbecue. This month, some of the best pitmasters around will have a chance to settle that argument at Texas Tech.

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The annual Raider Red Meats Barbecue & Ribeye Championship returns Aug. 21st-22nd, bringing competitors from across the region to the Texas Tech campus for two days of smoke, competition and, perhaps most importantly, scholarships.

grilled meat on black grill

$15,000 Up for Grabs

The championship will be held in the Commuter West parking lot outside the Department of Animal & Food Sciences building. Teams will compete for a share of $15,000 in prize money across five categories: brisket, pork, ribs, ribeye steak and chicken.

There’s also a separate collegiate division, giving colleges, universities and student organizations a chance to compete.

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The event is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society and has the distinction of being the official State Barbecue Championship of Texas. That means there’s more at stake than bragging rights. The grand champion earns an invitation to compete at the American Royal World Series of Barbecue in October.

Friday Night Starts the Party

Things get rolling Friday evening with a sponsor dinner and the Raider Rumble, an exhibition cook-off featuring live music, entertainment and celebrity judges.

Saturday will feature the Backyard BBQ Boss workshop with Dale Woerner, Cargill Endowed Professor in Meat Science Sustainability. The workshop will explore the techniques and science behind producing championship-caliber barbecue before the teams turn in their entries for judging.

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But while the food will certainly be the star attraction, the event has a bigger mission.

Tate Corliss, director of Raider Red Meats said,

This event is our largest fundraiser for Raider Red Meats.

two steaks on a cutting board with herbs and spices

Turning Barbecue Into Scholarships

Raider Red Meats isn't just a place to pick up some good meat. Since opening in 1982, the retail operation has provided Texas Tech students with hands-on experience in meat processing, merchandising and business operations while also generating scholarship support.

The barbecue championship helps strengthen the connection between Texas Tech, the livestock industry and barbecue fans while supporting students in the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

Texas Tech's meat science program dates back to 1933 and includes the 14,000-square-foot Gordon W. Davis Meat Science Laboratory, where students study everything from animal handling and carcass evaluation to food safety, processing and product development.

So yes, there will be trophies. There will be brisket. There will probably be some very strong opinions about ribs.

But, this barbecue competition is ultimately about giving students a chance to build a future in the meat industry...and that's something worth getting fired up about!