Full Breakdown
Texas Tech Proposes Week-1 Showdown with Texas After Coach Sarkisian’s Schedule Jab
5/29/2026, 4:24:43 AM
Core Offer and Immediate Context
At the Big 12 spring meetings in Frisco (May 27-28 2026), Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire announced that the Red Raiders would purchase the buyout clauses of their own Week 1 opponent, Abilene Christian University (ACU), and Texas Longhorns’ opponent Texas State, to open the 2026 season with a Texas-Texas Tech game. The proposal includes playing the contest in Lubbock’s Jones AT&T Stadium or, if preferred, the neutral-site AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Background & Context
The offer follows a remark by Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian at the Touchdown Club of Houston (May 21 2026), where he suggested a “team in our state … could go undefeated with our twos and threes and probably make the CFP.” Although he did not name Texas Tech, the comment was widely interpreted as a jab at the Red Raiders’ schedule. Texas and Texas Tech have not met annually since Texas moved to the SEC in 2024; their last meeting was a 57-7 Longhorn victory in Austin (Nov 24 2023). Texas Tech entered 2026 as the 2025 Big 12 champion and a CFP participant, while Texas seeks to improve a schedule that left it out of the 2025 playoff.
Key Figures & Groups
- Joey McGuire – Texas Tech head coach, initiator of the buyout proposal.
- Steve Sarkisian – Texas head coach, source of the schedule comment.
- Cody Campbell – Texas Tech board of regents member and major donor, amplified the offer on X.
- Stephen Jones – CEO of the Dallas Cowboys, contacted about a neutral-site game.
- Keith Patterson – ACU head coach, reportedly agreed to the buyout.
- G.J. Kinne – Texas State head coach, also reportedly agreeable.
- Chris Del Conte – Texas athletic director, non-committal on the schedule change.
- Kirby Hocutt – Texas Tech athletic director, noted the Red Raiders’ recent CFP appearance.
Timeline
- May 21 2026 – Sarkisian’s “twos and threes” comment at Houston alumni event.
- May 27 2026 – McGuire’s Zoom briefing to reporters, offers to buy out ACU contract.
- May 28 2026 – McGuire repeats willingness to host Texas in Lubbock or at AT&T Stadium; Campbell posts “Upping the ante” tweet offering to cover both buyouts.
- May 28-29 2026 – No official response from Texas or its opponents; negotiations remain informal.
Data & Statistics
- ACU contract buyout: $1 million (payable within 60 days).
- Texas State contract buyout: reported $1.4 million (per FBSchedules).
- Texas Tech’s total potential outlay: ? $2.4 million to secure the Week 1 matchup.
- Texas Tech’s 2025 record: 12-1, Big 12 champion, CFP quarterfinal loss (23-0 to Oregon).
- Texas’s 2025 record: 10-3, missed CFP.
Why It Matters
An early-season Texas-Texas Tech game would generate national viewership, test Texas Tech’s depth against a top-five Longhorn roster, and could influence CFP committee perceptions of schedule strength for both programs. Financially, the buyouts represent a sizable but potentially revenue-generating investment for Texas Tech.
Official Statements & Responses
McGuire emphasized the Red Raiders’ readiness to “figure out if their twos and threes can win this conference,” noting that ACU and Texas State have agreed to swap opponents. Texas Tech’s athletic department highlighted the recent Big 12 title and CFP berth as justification for seeking a marquee non-conference test. Campbell publicly pledged to fund both buyouts. Texas AD Del Conte acknowledged the Longhorns’ tentative 2028-29 Notre Dame series but gave no indication of accepting the Week 1 proposal. Hocutt joked about Texas’s prior CFP appearance while reaffirming Texas Tech’s desire to resume the rivalry.
Criticism & Opposition
Analysts note logistical hurdles: Texas ticket-holders have already purchased season tickets for a seven-home-game schedule, and altering the home opener could provoke fan backlash. Additionally, the financial outlay may be viewed as disproportionate given the uncertainty of a neutral-site agreement.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the exact buyout figures ($1 million vs. $1.4 million). Neither Texas nor the affected opponents (ACU, Texas State) have issued formal statements confirming the swaps. No timeline for a definitive decision has been provided.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We would love to play Texas.” — Joey McGuire
- “We're willing to buy our contract out of ACU.” — Joey McGuire
- “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.” — Joey McGuire
- “Upping the ante: @TechAthletics will pay the buyout for both the ACU and Texas State games.” — Cody Campbell
- “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 threes, we could go undefeated, and they'll probably make the CFP this year,” — Steve Sarkisian
What’s Next
Texas Tech remains scheduled to open against ACU on Sept 5, while Texas will host Texas State the same day. Both programs will proceed with those games unless a mutually agreeable buyout is finalized. Texas’s Week 2 matchup against Ohio State and Texas Tech’s non-conference games versus Oregon State and Sam Houston will follow. Discussions about future neutral-site contests and the 2028-29 Notre Dame series are expected to continue through the summer.
