If you’re wondering where our support will be Sunday, wonder no more.

Welcome back to the Mailbag!

It's Friday of Super Bowl week and we're suffering from a little case of déjà vu.

Feels like around this time last year we were getting ready to watch Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl and, if memory serves, we've done that a couple of other times over the past five years. 

Honestly, it's turned into a bit of a tradition.

Here in Red Raider nation, it's natural that folks take a good bit of pride in watching our former quarterback light up the NFL over and over and over and over. Heck, any school would be happy to say the best player in the NFL was one of their own. Lucky for us, the rest of them can't do that right now because that guy came from Texas Tech. 

Really, we hit the jackpot. I mean, years of watching Mahomes pitch it around in Lubbock prepared us all for the possibility that he might be something special, but even the most optimistic of supporters probably can't say with any honesty that they saw this run coming. 

Six seasons as a starting quarterback in the NFL; six AFC title games; four Super Bowl appearances; and a legitimate roadmap to GOAT status before turning 30. 

And if Sunday goes the right way, Mahomes will be a three-time Super Bowl champion. 

Not too shabby. 

The Chiefs having a Red Raider as a key player on the roster for their Super Bowl wins is also a tradition. In fact *checks historical records* the Chiefs have never won a Super Bowl without a Red Raider in the starting lineup. 

Now, it has come to our attention that many of you have noticed how much Texas Tech University posts about the Chiefs and Mahomes on social media. 

Good. 

We're glad you noticed and, well, that was the point. We also hope you've noticed those Double Ts popping up around Arrowhead Stadium and on the Chiefs' social media accounts. 

You see, given the success and popularity of Mahomes both at Texas Tech and in the NFL, it was a natural fit for the university and the Chiefs to strike up a strategic partnership. 

I mean, honestly, when you have two organizations with strong ties to each other committed to doing things the right way, it only makes sense. 

A couple years ago a corporate sponsorship deal came into being. The idea was for Texas Tech to have a presence alongside the Chiefs throughout the NFL, and for the Chiefs to continue growing their fanbase among Red Raiders. 

It all seemed very natural, and the outcomes have been better than expected. 

While the connection with Mahomes is clearly a driving force, being strategically aligned with an NFL juggernaut has opened doors for Texas Tech in recruiting Kansas City. That was expected. But with that came other recruiting opportunities in places like Arizona, California, New York, Pennsylvania and Florida. 

In those states applications to Texas Tech have more than doubled since 2019. In other words, anywhere the Chiefs play, a little Texas Tech goes with them. 

And if the jerseys you see around Lubbock are anything to go by, it seems like the Chiefs have carved out a nice little foothold here in Texas as well. 

It helps a ton that the Chiefs and Mahomes just keep winning. 

So, if there were any doubts, we'll be pulling for the Chiefs again Sunday, hoping for a little more Mahomes magic.

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