Dylan at a game in 2019. Image Source: The Daily Toreador, Madeline Diffee
Raider Riot
April 2020 - June 2021
Titles: PResident, Marketing Head
Being a lifelong Texas Tech fan, I’m very passionate about not just basketball, but all Texas Tech sports. However, Texas Tech Basketball has had an unreal, almost inhuman run since I’ve been a student at Tech, and I knew I had to be a part of the culture around the student section. However, I never knew how far it would take me.
As a member
I have been to every single Texas Tech Men’s Basketball home game since my Freshman Year in 2017, but I got super involved with the student section during the 2018-19 season.
During the 2019-20 season, I helped coordinate campouts, manage lines, and made sure students were comfortable and having a great gameday experience.
Storming the court after the win against Kansas in 2019.
In costume during the Big 12/SEC Challenge game against Kentucky in 2020.
As President
At the conclusion of the 2020 season, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the NCAA Tournament was cancelled, and the season was over. I ran for Presidency, and I was voted in by my peers in Late March. We brought on our other executives after interviews, and hit the ground running in April 2020.
I was tasked to run our Marketing Team, consisting of 4 people, alongside our CEO and a Raider Riot founder, Michael Di-Benedetto.
While we initially planned on hosting public meetings, that was tough to do due to the health climate at the time, so we planned out our season in the offseason, and promoted Raider Riot and Men’s Basketball in Fall 2020.
The schedule wasn’t the best due to the COVID-19 delays, but we still had positive attendance for every single game but one, our game against Incarnate Word right after Christmas.
Texas Tech and Tech Athletics allowed us to have the most students allowed inside a game in the Big 12, with an initial student max capacity rate of 1,000 students. That number grew as the season continued.
Getting students to the game is one thing, but engaging students during the game is another. I helped coordinate when chants were said, when students made noise, and where loud students were placed in the venue. We also introduced flags as a way to hype up the students and to provide a unique gameday atmosphere in a lower capacity arena.
I also helped Raider Riot join the freshman class of schools in the Collegiate Spirit Organization Network, or CSON. CSON includes top tier, legendary student sections from Duke, North Carolina, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, and more, cementing Raider Riot as one of the best Student Sections in the nation. I hosted our takeover on the CSON Instagram Account prior to our home game against Texas.
Some of our most popular posts during the season that I helped coordinate, plan, and post:
Postseason
We helped get students to the official Selection Sunday Watch Party at 4ore Golf, which was an overall success.
Some of our most popular posts were done during the 2021 NCAA Tournament:
Betrayal, Heartbreak, Vengance: The departure of Chris Beard and arrival of Mark Adams
On April 1st, 2021, Texas Tech Head Coach Chris Beard left Lubbock to take the Head Coaching job at rival school Texas. That day was full of emotion and a feeling of betrayal by Tech Fans. However, I stepped up and got to work on Social Media.
The following posts are now the most popular ones made in the account and the club’s history:
Directly after Mark Adams was announced to be the new Head Coach of Texas Tech Basketball, I was approached by a few Texas Tech Basketball Boosters, and we planned, secured, and set up a tailgate before the press conference in less than two hours. This tweet I posted went viral and was even featured on Barstool Sports.
The tailgate that we planned the night before? A success.
Our Athletic Director, Kirby Hocutt, shouted out Raider Riot multiple times in the days following Beard’s departure and Adam’s arrival.
Looking Back
In June of 2021, I helped select and facilitate the voting process for a new President and Vice President, as well as new executive members, and facilitating the smooth transition between coaching staff.
I have had the time of my life being a member, worker, and leader with the Raider Riot, and my leadership grew the org to new heights. I can’t take all the credit, as the team of executives and senators I helped assemble did a ton of work to make the 2020-21 season a success, despite the COVID-19 Pandemic, limited seating, a Big 12 tournament loss, a second-round exit in the NCAA tournament, and our coach leaving to our main rival.
#RR4L
Images from left to right:
The Raider Riot Marketing Team. From left to right- Natalie Clark, Graphic Design; Kendall Green, Instagram Head; Michael Di-Benedetto, CEO and Marketing Co-Head; Dylan Winn, President, Twitter Head, and Marketing Co-Head.
The Raider Riot Executive Board. From left to right- Dylan Winn, President; Carlos Botto, Fan Engagement Chair; Mia Gibaszek, Vice President; Michael Di-Benedetto, CEO; Casey Orsak, Freshman Engagement Co-Chair; Lacey Kuhn, Freshman Engagement Co-Chair; Mary Allison-Tannos, Treasurer; Courtney Longway, Behavioral Head.
Dylan Winn waiving a flag pregame
Dylan Winn getting hyped at the Mark Adams Introductory Press Conference.