It started like any other BYU game week. A usual flurry of lighthearted trash talk wrapped in homeschooled humor on X. Cougar fans were mixing faith, football, and friendly fire with rival fanbases. But Tuesday morning took a heartfelt detour when one BYU fan, known online as SportyMcSports, hit pause on the banter and threw out a challenge. “BYU fans, we play Texas Tech this week, and one of their fans is in need of help. She was hit by a drunk driver and is in the ICU. Her husband is the team barber. Let’s show them our love and support by Jimmering this Go fund me!” And just like that, a rivalry turned into a rescue mission with Kirk Herbstreit entering the scene. 

Within hours, what started as a $25,000 fundraising goal became something much bigger. BYU fans flooded the GoFundMe page of Ivan Ortiz, the Texas Tech barber whose wife, Maddie, was fighting for her life after a drunk driving accident. Then, out of nowhere, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit dropped in with a $5,000 donation, the top contribution that sent shockwaves across both fanbases. The fund skyrocketed to over $49,100 in just eight hours. One fan wrote on Cougarboard, “It was at $6K this morning. Now over $40K. Keep Jimmering it!” The speed and scale of generosity mirrored a BYU offense in full tempo.

The story behind the fundraiser was gut-wrenching. “My wife Maddie Ortiz was critically injured in a devastating car accident caused by a drunk driver on October 16th, leaving her with severe injuries and a long road to recovery,” Ivan shared on his GoFundMe page. “My income is based off 100% commission at this time, and I have taken off work to be by Maddie’s side during this difficult time since the accident… Any donation, no matter the size, will make a meaningful difference and bring hope to our family during our greatest time of need.”

The couple, married in February after seven years together, were navigating every parent’s worst nightmare. Maddie, a stay-at-home mom to their 3-year-old son, was in the ICU, and Ivan, the Red Raiders’ trusted barber, had hung up his clippers to stay at her bedside. His plea wasn’t for pity. It was for prayers. “I’m asking for as many prayers warriors she can get during this difficult time, that she will make a full recovery and come back home to our family,” he said. That’s when the magic of college football showed up in human kindness. 

BYU fans, who’ve made it tradition to rally behind others in crisis, once again blurred the lines between rivals and brothers. As donations climbed and prayers poured in, the message was loud and clear. Some things are bigger than football. And fittingly, the same man whose generosity helped spark this wave of goodwill will soon find himself right in the middle of it. 

Kirk Herbstreit heads to Lubbock for historic BYU-Texas Tech showdown

The same man who helped drive the GoFundMe past its limit will now be calling the very matchup that inspired it. ESPN’s top broadcast duo, Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler, along with Holly Rowe, will be in Lubbock to cover No. 8 BYU vs. No. 9 Texas Tech, the first top-10 matchup in BYU football history. Usually reserved for marquee SEC games, the duo’s presence signals just how massive this Big 12 showdown is. 

The stakes are monumental. The winner could punch a ticket to the Big 12 title game and possibly crash the College Football Playoff conversation. BYU sits undefeated, while Texas Tech at 8-1 has the firepower to flip the script. So while the nation tunes in for touchdowns and playoff implications, one story off the field has already shown what the sport is all about. Rivalry with heart. Because sometimes, college football’s greatest wins don’t happen between the hash marks.