The wait is over, No. 23 Red Raiders open season Saturday

ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF at #23 TEXAS TECH
Lubbock, Texas | Jones AT&T Stadium
Aug. 30, 2025
ESPN+ | 6:30 p.m. CT

GAME LINKS

LUBBOCK, Texas – After months of anticipation, No. 23 Texas Tech will officially open the 2025 football season at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff inside Jones AT&T Stadium. It will be the first all-time meeting between the Red Raiders and the Golden Lions, who represent Texas Tech's first opponent in history from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).

Broadcast coverage will be provided by ESPN+. Ted Emrich will have the call, alongside Jeff Woody, providing the analysis. The broadcast can be accessed using the ESPN app on any Smart TV or streaming device, or from any desktop or laptop computer, or personal cellular device on the app. Registration for the subscription service can be found at ESPNPlus.com.

Texas Tech Sports Network will also broadcast the game over 46 affiliates throughout the state of Texas and New Mexico, as Brian Jensen will have the call alongside analyst John Harris and sideline reporter Chris Level. The radio broadcast can also be heard on SiriusXM channel 162/199, as well as on the Varsity app.

LIMITED AMOUNT OF SINGLE-GAME TICKETS STILL ON SALE FOR SATURDAY

As of Monday, Aug. 25, fewer than 1,000 single-game tickets remain available for this Saturday's season opener versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Tickets can be purchased online at TexasTech.com or by speaking to a ticket sales representative at 806-742-TECH.
Reminder for ticket holders: in advance of gameday, add your tickets to your mobile wallet. Also, by having your tickets already in your wallet, you can avoid slow or weak wi-fi/cellular signals at the stadium
Texas Tech sold out of season tickets for the third consecutive season in early May as Red Raider fans purchased more than 33,000 season passes for the 2025 campaign.
The first Texas Tech football game sold out completely on June 26 as Red Raider fans secured the primary ticket inventory for the Oct. 25 showdown with Oklahoma State at Jones AT&T Stadium. Fans are directed to SeatGeek to seek tickets for the contest versus the Cowboys, which will also serve as the Parents and Family Weekend game, which attracts large crowds to the Texas Tech campus annually. Select single-game tickets remain available to each of Tech's other contests this season.

TOP TRANSFER CLASS MAKES DEBUT

There will be no shortage of new faces when the Red Raiders take the field Saturday after an offseason where Texas Tech signed the nation's top transfer class. Texas Tech signed 10 players who ranked among the top-100 portal entrants by the likes of ESPN, The Athletic, On3, or 247Sports, a list headlined by outside linebackers David Bailey and Romello Height, defensive lineman Lee Hunter, and offensive lineman Howard Sampson.
On3 ranked Texas Tech's offseason portal haul as the top transfer class in the country, bolstering the Red Raiders into a preseason top-25 team for the first time since 2008 at No. 23 in the Associated Press poll.

MORTON, RODRIGUEZ LEAD RETURNERS

Even with the nation's top transfer class, the Red Raiders still boast several notable returners this season, such as quarterback Behren Morton and inside linebacker Jacob Rodriguez. Morton enters his senior season already ranked among the top 10 in every career passing category after throwing for 3,335 yards and 27 touchdowns a year ago to only eight interceptions.
Rodriguez was voted the Big 12 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year this summer after an impressive junior season where he earned All-Big 12 first team honors as one of the nation's top linebackers. Rodriguez was among the nation's leaders last year with 127 tackles while contributing to six takeaways.

RED RAIDERS IN THE POLLS

Texas Tech will enter the 2025 season ranked inside the top 25 of both major polls for the first time since 2008 as the Red Raiders are No. 23 in the Associated Press poll and No. 24 in the AFCA coaches poll. Texas Tech was previously ranked No. 24 in the 2023 AFCA preseason poll before falling out after a season-opening loss at Wyoming.
It is the first time the Red Raiders have appeared in the Associated Press poll since Sept. 23, 2018, when Texas Tech was No. 24 nationally after starting its season 3-1 overall with wins over Lamar, Houston, and at No. 15 Oklahoma State, with the lone loss coming in the opener to Ole Miss.
Texas Tech will potentially face five schools this season who are ranked or receiving votes in either of the two preseason polls, a list headlined by No. 11 Arizona State and No. 17 Kansas State. Texas Tech's schedule also features BYU - ranked No. 23 in the AFCA poll - as well as the likes of Utah and Kansas, which are both receiving votes in at least one poll.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

1: Texas Tech was tabbed as having the No. 1-ranked transfer portal class by On3sports and the No. 2-ranked portal class by 247Sports.com.
6: Quarterback Behren Morton was named to six different preseason watch lists, leading all Red Raiders. He was tabbed to the Maxwell, Wuerffel, O'Brien, Manning, Golden Arm & Tyler Rose.
17: Texas Tech is ranked in both major preseason polls - No. 23 AP, No. 24 Coaches - the last time the Red Raiders were ranked in both preseason polls was 2008, 17 years ago.
24: Texas Tech had 24 players named to the Shrine Bowl 1000, a nation-leading number among all of college football.
25: A win on Saturday would mark the 25th consecutive win for the Red Raiders against an FCS opponent dating back to 1991.
950: Texas Tech will have the Guinness World Records staff on-hand Saturday as 950+ drones will hit the sky before the 4Q seeking to break the record for most drones at a CFB game.

INSIDE THE SERIES

This will be the first all-time meeting between the Red Raiders and Arkansas-Pine Bluff. In fact, the Golden Lions will be the first school from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) to face the Red Raiders on the gridiron in program history. It will be the first of two meetings between the two schools as Arkansas-Pine Bluff is slated to open Texas Tech's 2027 schedule as well.

TEXAS TECH-UAPB CONNECTIONS

The Red Raiders have one lone connection to the state of Arkansas in head coach Joey McGuire, who grew up in Texarkana on the Texas-Arkansas border. McGuire, who has a large amount of family on his mother's side from the state of Arkansas, recounted many trips to Razorback games as a child, either in Fayetteville or at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

RED RAIDERS VERSUS THE FCS

Texas Tech has compiled a 28-1 all-time record against FCS opponents since the NCAA divided its Division I schools into two divisions in 1978. Texas Tech enters this weekend having won each of its last 24 consecutive games against FCS opponents dating back to the 1991 season.
Texas Tech's lone loss to an FCS program came in 1988 when North Texas stunned the Red Raiders, 29-24, inside Jones AT&T Stadium (UNT was DI-AA from 1982-95). The loss opened the second full season for the Red Raiders under head coach Spike Dykes.
Texas Tech is averaging 52.0 points per game in its last three contests versus FCS programs under Joey McGuire as Texas Tech downed Murray State, 63-10, in his 2022 debut and then topped Tarleton State, 41-3, in 2023, before a tense 52-51 overtime win in 2024 when former Texas Tech defensive coordinator Keith Patterson brought Abilene Christian to town.

- TECH -

The wait is over, No. 23 Red Raiders open season Saturday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

David Bailey

Romello Height

Lee Hunter

Behren Morton

Jacob Rodriguez

Howard Sampson

The wait is over, No. 23 Red Raiders open season Saturday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

David Bailey

Romello Height

Lee Hunter

Behren Morton

Jacob Rodriguez

Howard Sampson

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