In late May, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was trying show that all college football schedules are not created equally. Sark believes the Longhorns difficult 2025 schedule should have been given more respect by the CFP committee.
In doing so, he used Texas Tech’s relatively easy 2026 schedule as an example. That kicked off a war of words and a PR stunt by the Red Raiders at UT’s expense. Still, Sark was thoughtful enough to reach out to Tech’s coach during a dark time.
There is now a perception, based on the CFP committee’s choices, that teams will benefit from scheduling easy non-conference slate. That’s not great news for Texas, who have the toughest 2026 schedule in college football. Coupled with a new nine-game SEC schedule, Texas also plays Ohio State. Next season, Texas will play Michigan and then home-and-home with Notre Dame in 2028 and 2029.
“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.
Even though Sark didn’t mention the Red Raiders by name, the brass at Texas Tech took offense at being used as an example and fired back, “offering” to quickly alter both teams schedules to “settle it on the field.”
“We would love to play the University of Texas in Week one.” – Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire
McGuire claimed to have spoken to Texas’ opening weekend opponent, Texas State, and the Red Raiders Week 1 opponent, Abilene Christian to offer a buyout.
“I’ve actually talked to Keith Patterson, and I’ve talked to G.J. Kinne,” McGuire said Thursday at the Big 12 spring meetings, according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. “And they’re willing to take our games, and Abilene Christian will go to Texas State. We’ll buy our contract out with Abilene Christian. I’m sure, because Texas has got a lot of money, they can buy their contract out (with Texas State). I do know there’s a lot of Red Raiders that will help them buy that contract out if they don’t want to, and they can come to Lubbock week one, and we can figure out if their twos and threes can win this conference.”
Of course, this was a fake offer. Tech knew it wasn’t viable for UT to change its schedule so quickly. College football schedules are made YEARS in advance. It is a huge expense to change a schedule around, especially less than 100 days before kickoff. There is travel and hotels and logistics for the team, the staff, the band, the administration.
McGuire and new Tech super booster Cody Campbell suggested the game be played either in Lubbock or Arlington. In other words, for Texas to accept this “offer” it will have to spend money on the switch AND forego a home game and the 100,000 tickets already sold. Tech also originally suggested UT foot the bill for the buyout. But then Campbell magnanimously said he’d pay for it.
When Texas didn’t immediately leap at the “opportunity,” the Texas Tech brass called the Longhorns “scared.”
“It won’t be Texas because they’re scared,” McGuire explained after announcing a future home-and-home series with a (yet to be revealed) blue blood.
It was a low point in what has always been a one-sided rivalry.
But the Texas Tech news cycle quickly changed to the programs legal efforts to keep alleged gambling addict Brendan Sorsby eligible. Sorsby, who was initially ruled ineligible for the entire 2026 season due to his gambling infractions, was able to get a temporary injunction, reducing that suspension to two games. Retired Tarrant County judge Ken Curry granted Sorsby an injunction against the NCAA, allowing the fifth-year quarterback to play during the upcoming 2026 season.
The Red Raiders brass released a video defending their position. Nationally, it went over like a lead balloon.
Tech suddenly became the pariah of college football, with coaches and athletic directors around the nation speaking out against the historic case. That included Texas coach Steve Sarkisian.
“The way these injunctions are going, Pat Mahomes might be playing quarterback for Texas Tech again before Joey [McGuire]’s done,” Sarkisian said on Up and Adams with Kay Adams.
But things got worse for McGuire and Tech. The Big 12 decided they would not allow Sorsby to play and were openly discussing options. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton rushed to Tech’s defense, stating that any effort to “disadvantage” the university would violate antitrust laws and prompt swift legal action by his office.”
The Big 12 had enough and took legal action against the Lubbock institution and Paxton. The conference filed a 47-page complaint against Texas Tech, the Texas attorney general, the system’s chancellor, the school president, and the athletic director in seeking a declaratory judgment and a preliminary injunction to enable it to enforce its bylaws.
Finally, Tech capitulated and announced Sorsby would not attempt to continue his college career and try his hand at the NFL.
Behind the scenes, it apparently got rough for McQuire. He was being mentioned by name as one of the “bad guys” in the sport for trying to get a guy that allegedly bet on his own team eligible.
Even Sark, after all of the back and forth in the war of words from late May and early June, was kind enough to reach out to McGuire to check on him and comfort him in his darkest hour. Sarkisian commiserated with McGuire on the ever changing demands put on the modern head college football coach.
Like with Lane Kiffin, Sark is good at separating gamesmanship with personal relationships.
Of course, even on Tuesday at Big 12 Media day, McQuire can’t help himself.
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Even after schedule trolling, UT’s Sarkisian comforts Texas Tech coach
Reporting by Trey Luerssen, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Trey Luerssen, Longhorns Wire | USA TODAY Network
