Texas Tech Wants To Do Everything It Can To Play Texas in Week 1

The Texas Tech Red Raiders have heard the remarks from Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian.

Now, they have eyes set on potentially making a massive schedule change that would pin the two old rivals against each other in Week 1 of this upcoming season, though it will be up to Texas to come to a mutual agreement.

Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire said Thursday that he would be open to playing Texas in Lubbock at Jones AT&T Stadium during the first game of the season, a move that would require both teams to alter their current Week 1 matchups on Sept. 5. Texas hosts Texas State while the Red Raiders are playing Abilene Christian.

But if a matchup in Lubbock can't work, McGuire is open to a meeting at AT&T Stadium in Arlington as well. The Red Raiders have already discussed a buyout with Abilene Christian.

Could Sarkisian's Comments Lead to Last-Minute Schedule Change?

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian talks with Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire before the game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Though it wasn't exactly direct, Sarkisian clearly took jab at Texas Tech earlier this month while talking about scheduling, saying that a "team in our state" has an easy path to the CFP as a result of their weaker schedule. These comments have now led to McGuire's response and makes for some interesting offseason drama.

“There’s a team in our state that plays in another conference that has a schedule that I would argue if I played with our twos and our threes, we could go undefeated, and they’ll probably make the CFP this year,” Sarkisian said

In order for things to work, the Longhorns and Red Raiders would both have to buy out their current Week 1 opponents. However, Texas Tech is willing to make that part easy for Texas.

Cody Campbell, a former Red Raiders offensive lineman and one of the program's biggest donors, announced on X that Texas Tech is willing to pay Texas' buyout for the Texas State game, a move that signals Tech is serious about making this happen.

Upping the ante: @TechAthletics will pay the buyout for both the ACU and Texas State games. Let’s go!!! @CoachSark @_delconte https://t.co/IX637eSYmX
— Cody Campbell (@CodyC64) May 28, 2026

Aside from that, the move would put Texas at a potential disadvantage on the schedule and doesn't exactly favor the Longhorns if things go McGuire's way.

If the two sides can't agree to a neutral site matchup, Texas would have one less home game and would go on the road to open the season before hosting the Ohio State Buckeyes in Week 2. There's a worst-case scenario where the Longhorns would be in danger of starting out the year 0-2 and already in danger of missing the College Football Playoff.

The Longhorns probably wouldn't mind Texas Tech coming to Austin instead, but it's hard to imagine the Red Raiders being open to that type of challenge.

Recent History Between Texas and Texas Tech

Nov 24, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) looks to pass the ball while defended by Texas Tech Red Raiders linebacker Charles Esters III (11) during the second half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Texas leads the all-time series 55-18 dating back to the first meeting in 1928.

The two old Big 12 rivals last played each other in the final game of the 2023 regular season, Texas' final year in the conference. The Longhorns dominated Texas Tech for a 57-7 win, clinching a spot in the Big 12 Championship and eventually the College Football Playoff.

The year prior, Texas Tech upset Texas on a walk-off field goal in Lubbock for a 37-34 win, one of the biggest victories of the past few years for a program that hasn't had much to celebrate. This came just a year after the Longhorns gashed Texas Tech for a 70-35 win in Austin during the 2021 season, a campaign that saw Texas finish 5-7.

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