Texas Tech softball coach Gerry Glasco doesn’t seem to care for the Red Raiders’ No.1 preseason ranking in the Softball America poll.

“It’s nice to get the attention and nice to get the respect, but it’s rat poison as [Nick] Saban says,” Glasco said. “I’ve never had a team ranked No. 1 in college, so it’s a new thing for me. But it really [means] absolute nothing to me. I just want to work every day, get our team ready.

“It does mean this time is precious. We’ve got a rare opportunity this year. We’ve got a very unique team with a lot of talent. So it does mean the team’s precious, and we want to really value every opportunity to get better.”

Texas Tech will seek to avenge its 2025 Women’s College World Series loss to the Texas Longhorns. During its first WCWS appearance, the Red Raiders fell 10-4 in Game 3 of the championship series. Their remarkable march to the title series included a 54-14 regular-season record, Big 12 Coach of the Year honors for Glasco and conference regular-season and tournament titles.

The program’s historic run was also led by National Pitcher of the Year NiJaree Canady. The Stanford transfer played in 61 games for the Red Raiders, starting 56 matchups. She finished her junior season with a 34-7 record, 319 strikeouts, and a 1.11 ERA. As a hitter, she had a .278 batting average, 34 RBI, 30 hits and 11 home runs.

Looking ahead to the Red Raiders’ 2026 schedule, Glasco seems excited for the opportunities his roster has to compete and potentially make a run back to the WCWS.

“The schedule gives up everything we need,” Galsco said. “We’ve got really challenging games with Texas A&M, Florida State, Nebraska ― and then our conference is going to be tough. It’s going to be a great year.”

The Red Raiders open the 2026 NCAA softball season on Feb. 6 against McNeese State.

North Texas FIFA World Cup organizers say this week will bring the first visible signs of activity.

“Tomorrow is a very big day for us,” organizer Monica Paul said. “The move-in for the International Broadcast Center for the World Cup begins. So, they will start moving in a lot of trucks, a lot of building out will take place.”

“I feel like we’re ready for this,” organizer Dan Hunt said. “I mean, this city has been built for this.”

Thousands of media arriving soon

Organizers say that by mid-May, 3,500 broadcasters, media, and staff are expected to arrive at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

Transportation planning will involve coordination across multiple cities and agencies, as millions of fans are expected to move across the region once the tournament begins.

“A large stakeholder group has been taking shape to put this transportation plan together,” Paul said. “Our last mobility plan is due to FIFA at the end of March.”

Security effort spans all levels

Safety and security will involve local, state, and federal partners.

“We are working with the White House Task Force for the World Cup,” Paul said. “It was set up specifically to be our federal government liaison with the host cities to address any concerns.”

Organizers say they want to ensure international visitors feel welcome.

Fan festival to anchor celebrations

For fans without tickets, Fair Park will host the FIFA Fan Festival, a large-scale viewing and entertainment experience during the tournament. The full schedule is expected to be released next month.

“With the good fortune we have here, Dallas Stadium will have nine matches which is over 700,000 tickets,” Hunt said. “Fan fest down in Fair Park should do double that. Almost 1.5 million visitors.”

“What I’m excited about is our Fan Fest is estimated to be free to the public and that excites me because everyone who does not have a ticket can also benefit from the energy of celebrating the World Cup,” organizer Nina Vaca said.

Long‑term goals beyond the tournament

With a projected $2.1 billion economic impact, organizers say the broader goal is to grow the game of soccer in North Texas long after the final match.

AUSTIN – Texas Democrat leaders are demanding that state Attorney General Ken Paxton investigate X, formerly Twitter, and the built-in chatbot Grok for alleged child sex abuse content being generated on the site. 

The joint letter from the House leaders says sexualized material is being created at a rate that should trigger a Texas law that would require age verification to use the site. 

Texas Democrats request X investigation

What we know:

The Monday letter, signed by 43 House Democrats, references reporting that claims investigators have observed around 7,750 sexualized images being generated per hour and at least one nonconsensual image per minute on X. 

They note that Grok has been documented generating sexualized or “nudified” images of minors as well. 

According to the House Democrats, other regulators, including those in Europe, have already launched their own queries into the social media site and chatbot. Additionally, they say, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation has called on the DOJ and Federal Trade Commission to investigate X and Grok over the same concerns. 

The letter says Texas has already established a standard for sites operating as they claim X does: House Bill 1181, enacted in 2023, requires websites where more than one-third of content is sexual material harmful to minors to use age-verification methods to ensure users are over 18. 

Proposed investigation requirements

The letter asks Paxton to look into the following:

• Open a formal investigation into whether X, xAI, Grok, or related tools accessible in Texas are being used to create or distribute unlawful sexually explicit deepfakes, nonconsensual intimate imagery, and any AI-generated child sexual exploitation material, and whether platform design choices are facilitating that conduct.
• Investigate whether X is in compliance with Texas age verification requirements under HB 1181, including whether minors can access sexually explicit material or AI tools that generate sexual imagery without reasonable age verification.
• Issue a public enforcement and reporting pathway for victims and parents in Texas, including instructions to preserve evidence, how reports will be routed for rapid investigation when minors are involved, and a point of contact for legislative coordination.
• Provide written guidance to platforms operating in Texas on compliance expectations, including meaningful age gating for sexually explicit material, prompt removal pathways for victims, and cooperation with law enforcement.

What we don’t know:

Paxton has not yet issued a public response to the letter, or announced an investigation into the matter.

What parents and users should know

If you encounter sexualized images of minors or other abusive material online, report it immediately. In the United States, you can contact the FBI tip line or seek help from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Do not download, share, screenshot or interact with the content in any way. Even viewing or forwarding illegal material can expose you to serious legal risk.

Parents should also talk with children and teens about AI image tools and social media prompts. Many of these images are created through casual requests that do not feel dangerous at first. Teaching kids to report content, close the app and tell a trusted adult can stop harm from spreading further.