Texas Tech “Guns Up” Bobblehead – Unveiling Friday for College Colors Day
Texas Tech has an all new “Guns Up” Bobblehead. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in February, will be available at this link. The bobbleheads are $40 each, plus an $8 flat-rate shipping charge per order.
Standing on a “Guns Up” base in school colors, the Raider Red bobblehead is wearing a black No. 1 football jersey while giving the “Guns Up” hand gesture. Each bobblehead will be individually numbered to only 2,026.
The Texas Tech “Guns Up” hand sign was created in 1971 by alumnus L. Glenn Dippel and his wife Roxie. Living in Austin, Texas, surrounded by University of Texas fans flashing “Hook ’Em Horns,” the couple wanted a counter-gesture. They drew inspiration from the university’s gun-toting mascot, Raider Red. Originally called “Gun ’Em Down,” the gesture is formed by extending the index finger forward and the thumb upward, while tucking in the other fingers to mimic a pistol. Dippel wrote to the Saddle Tramps student spirit organization, and both they and the cheerleaders quickly adopted it for athletic events.
The bobblehead is being released in conjunction with the start of the 2026-27 school year. The fall semester began on Monday, August 24th for undergraduate students. The Red Raiders open the 2026 football season on Saturday, September 5th against Abilene Christian at Galaxy Stadium in Lubbock.
Texas Tech was called the Matadors until 1936, when sportswriter Collier Parris coined the term “Red Raiders.” He used the new nickname because the team wore flashy all-red uniforms and faced a tough, cross-country schedule. Before the 1971 football season, the Southwest Conference passed a rule which restricted bringing live animal mascots to out-of-town games. Thus, the Masked Rider, Tech’s official mascot, would not be able to travel representing the university. Jim Gaspard, a member of the male spirit squad organization, Saddle Tramps, created Raider Red, a Wild West character with an oversized cowboy hat, from drawings from Dirk West to represent Tech at away football games. He was first seen publicly on September 10th, 1971.
“We’re excited to unveil this ‘Guns Up’ bobblehead as part of our College Slogan collection,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “As one of the most iconic and recognized hand gestures in college sports, ‘Guns Up’ gets Texas Tech fans fired up every time. This bobblehead is a must-have for Red Raider fans everywhere!”
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country.