The Texas Tech Red Raiders earned a Big 12 conference championship in the 202 college football season, going 12-2 overall and 8-1 in conference play, narrowly edging out the BYU Cougars for the program’s first conference title. Texas Tech is set to begin its 2026 season on Sept. 5 when they host the Abilene Christian Wildcats.
Lately, teams have been backing out of games in which they were scheduled to play Texas Tech. Four schools have already backed out or have declined the opportunity to play Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have been trying to get more games on their schedule in an effort to boost their non-conference schedule.
Head coach Joey McGuire commented on the situation in an interview with On3.
“We’re talking to everybody and anybody. So far, everybody’s told us no,” McGuire said.
Part of the reason for teams refusing to play Texas Tech is because of the situation with quarterback Brendan Sorsby. After violating gambling rules, a judge ruled that Sorsby would be eligible to play, which led to teams choosing to back out after the Red Raiders supported his case.
Another factor is the success of Texas Tech and the expansion of the playoffs. Many teams in the Big Ten or SEC have decided that their schedules are tough enough and the benefit of playing and beating a program of Texas Tech’s caliber is not worth the risk of losing.
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This article originally appeared on Red Raiders Wire: Joey McGuire gives an update on future non-conference schedules
Reporting by Curt Bishop, Red Raiders Wire / Red Raiders Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Curt Bishop, Red Raiders Wire | USA TODAY Network
