LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – With Texas Tech’s annual spring game approaching this Friday, there’s obviously been a great deal of anticipation for the 2026 season- now four and a half months away. One of the biggest off-field discussions has been the changes to next year’s schedule, which were announced last Friday. The Red Raiders now have a Friday night matchup against Houston on Sept. 18 along with a Thanksgiving showdown with TCU on Nov. 26. Both games are at home.
Texas Tech head football coach Joey McGuire sees the positives in both. He has great expectations for the Houston game since he believes there will be two ranked teams playing in front of a national audience on Fox.
“The Friday game against Houston, it’s going to be a huge game. I truly believe they’ll be in the top 25. We should be, so you’re going to get a big matchup, Top 25 matchup. We’re talking right now of how we can get the right number of practices during that week, and the one thing with us is also getting our guys rested because, we’re going to be coming,” he said. ”They’ve got to travel to us, but it’s in-state, and they play at home that Saturday. We’re going to be playing on the road against Oregon State, so what time we get back and how we can get our guys ready to go to get the right amount of practices, but it’s going to be a great game.”
McGuire says the biggest difference between the two games is both will be played at much-different times of the year. The game on Sept. 18 will be Tech’s third of the year. When TCU arrives for a Turkey Day showdown, both teams will have completed 11 games with a potential trip to Arlington on their own radar.
“You’re late in the season; you already know who you are. You’re not going to be putting a lot of stuff in, so you can really modify practice and what you’re going to do. TCU will be the same way, and then if we’re where we’re supposed to be and where we expect to be, then we’re going to get an extra day of recovery for the Big 12 Championship that’s going to be on that next Friday, so that’s going to be really good.”
The 2026 Big 12 Championship is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 6. at AT&T Stadium.
Along with the Houston matcup, the TCU game is also expected to take place in front of a national audience. Many viewers will have just finished watching the Dallas Cowboys, who traditionally play on Thanksgiving every year.
“You’re going to get the two main NFL games with Detroit playing whoever and Dallas playing whoever, and then the only college game on that day is going to be us and TCU,” he said. “TCU is going to be a really good football team. The last two years, they’ve won nine games each, and so they’re going to be a good football team. That’s going to be a great game, and this place is going to be rocking.”
McGuire also has advice for Tech fans who now have to readjust their holiday plans to attend the “Battle for the Saddle”.
“I’m excited, and I’ve had a couple people go, ‘Man, it’s going to be tough, the family and traveling’, I said, ‘Just have Thanksgiving, you’re just going to have to cook a little bit. You’re used to traveling, you’re just going to have to cook on Wednesday and have Thanksgiving here at Jones AT&T.”
The 2026 football season will kick off Saturday, Sept. 5 as the Red Raiders host Abilene Christian.
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