Sports Journalist

Austin Jackson

Sports reporter at The Daily Toreador covering Texas Tech, and founder of Track & XC News and Track & XC Portal.

Read my work Get in touch
Austin Jackson

Work

Former Texas Tech volleyball head coach Tony Graystone

Top Story Investigation

Graystone accused of physical abuse, medical mistreatment before dismissal

The Daily Toreador · September 28, 2026

Public records revealed an email sent to Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt, accusing former volleyball head coach Tony Graystone of physical abuse, medical mistreatment and felony battery, six days before his dismissal.

Read the story

On X: The DT's post · My post

Coverage Highlights

  • 2026 Big 12 Women's Basketball TournamentKansas City, Missouri
  • Women's March Madness, First and Second RoundsBaton Rouge, Louisiana

The Daily Toreador

Coverage of Texas Tech football, women's basketball, women's soccer, track and field, cross country and golf.

Texas Tech football sideline during a game News

The Daily Toreador · October 13, 2026

McGuire distances team from previous statements

Five weeks into the season with an undefeated record, Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire has begun to distance himself and the team from statements made during the offseason.

Read story →
Texas Tech women's basketball player on the court News

The Daily Toreador · September 1, 2026

Maupin, Atwell seek temporary injunctions

Former Texas Tech basketball players Bailey Maupin and Donovan Atwell have regained eligibility for the 2026-27 season through two separate temporary restraining orders. Both temporary injunction hearings are set for Sept. 11.

Read story →
Speaker at a Texas Tech athletics podium News

The Daily Toreador · April 24, 2026

Tech Athletics to increase scholarships, reallocate revenue share dollars

Texas Tech athletics plans to add over 80 scholarships to its women’s and olympic sports for the 2026-27 season. The change will also allow Tech to reallocate revenue share dollars to its football program.

Read story →
Texas Tech jumper on the runway at a track meet Feature

The Daily Toreador · April 16, 2026

Clerkley overcomes brain aneurysm to win first collegiate meet

Nine months after a brain aneurysm and being rushed into brain surgery, Texas Tech freshman Damerian Clerkley won his first collegiate meet in the triple jump on March 26.

Read story →
Texas Tech women's basketball players on the court Feature

The Daily Toreador · February 26, 2026

DeRoo details three-month journey to get Okechukwu to U.S.

On New Year’s Day, 7-foot-1 Nigerian center Stephanie Okechukwu stepped out of the Lubbock International Airport with one bag to meet her new teammates and coaches. Her arrival was the result of a nearly three month process led by associate coach Erik DeRoo.

Read story →

See all my stories at The Daily Toreador →

About

I'm a journalism student in the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University and a sports reporter for The Daily Toreador, Texas Tech's independent student newspaper. I have covered football, women's basketball, women's soccer, track and field, cross country and golf, writing previews, recaps and feature stories on deadline.

Before I got to Lubbock, I built my own newsroom. I founded Track & XC News to cover running at the high school, collegiate and professional levels, and Track & XC Portal, which covers NCAA recruiting, commitments and transfers and introduced the first-ever star rating system for high school track and field athletes.

I ran cross country myself at Wylie High School, where our team won four straight district titles and qualified for state twice. That time on the course shapes how I report on the sport today: from the infield at the USATF Outdoor Championships to the finish line at Nike Cross Regionals South.

Social Media

114K views · 2.5K likes

20.4K views · 720 likes

79.4K views · 254 likes

101.1K views · 252 likes

Resume

Experience

  • Sports Reporter, The Daily ToreadorAug 2025 – Present

    Lubbock, TX

    • Cover Texas Tech women's soccer, women's basketball, track and field, cross country and golf.
    • Write game previews, recaps and features under strict deadlines in a newsroom setting.
    • Attend weekly press conferences and conduct one-on-one interviews with coaches and athletes.
    • Pitch story ideas, collaborate with editors and follow AP style.
  • Founder, Track & XC NewsOngoing
    • Built a running news brand to 9,000+ followers across platforms, with 200,000+ impressions on a single post.
    • Report breaking news, conduct athlete interviews and publish across multiple platforms.
    • Covered USATF Outdoors, NCAA Outdoors, UIL State XC and Nike Cross Regionals South in person.
  • Founder, Track & XC PortalOngoing
    • Created the first-ever star rating system for high school track and field athletes.
    • Cover recruiting, commitment and transfer news for NCAA track and field.
    • Grew Instagram to 13,000+ followers averaging 3,000,000+ monthly impressions.

Education

  • Texas Tech UniversityAug 2025 – Present

    Journalism, College of Media and Communication

  • Collin College, Dual Credit2023 – 2025

    32 college credit hours completed while in high school

  • Wylie High School2021 – 2025

    A-Honor Roll (2023–24) · Cross country district team champions 2021–2024 · Two-time team state qualifier

Skills

  • AP Style
  • Deadline Reporting
  • Interviewing
  • Game Recaps & Features
  • Breaking News
  • Social Media Growth
  • Recruiting Coverage

Contact

For story tips, assignments, interviews or collaborations, reach out.

arjackson001@gmail.com