COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: 50 | 49 | 48 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 41 | 40 | 39 | 38
Texas Tech's 2016 football season will begin in exactly 37 days with a Sept. 3 kickoff against Stephen F. Austin.
Today, we continue our Countdown to Kickoff series with a notable way the number 37 relates to Red Raider football.
37: Texas Tech has appeared in 37 bowl games over its program history.
Compared to many of its conference and regional peers, Texas Tech's football program is relatively young. While most other members of the Big 12 first began to field football teams in the late 1800s, the Red Raiders' first season of season was in 1925. Despite that youth, Texas Tech has recorded an impressive 37 bowl appearances, tied with Miami, Ole Miss and Texas A&M for 17th-most all-time.
The Red Raiders' first bowl appearance occurred following the 1937. Pete Cawthon's team posted an 8-3 record during the regular season and earned a postseason matchup with West Virginia in the 1938 Sun Bowl. Texas Tech lost that game 7-6.
That would be a common theme for the program during its early years. The Red Raiders lost their first five bowl appearances, including a 30-13 setback to Saint Mary's in the 1939 Cotton Bowl. The program finally broke through into the win column after the 1951 season, with a 25-14 victory over Pacific in the 1952 Sun Bowl.
Texas Tech's overall postseason is not exactly impressive - 14-22-1 - but it has had a great run in recent years. The Red Raiders have won nine of their last 12 bowl games.
Tomorrow: 36 - We look at Texas Tech's oldest NCAA record.
