Texas Tech University Athletics
Big 12 announces date changes for Houston, TCU home games
April 10, 2026 | Football
LUBBOCK, Texas — The Big 12 Conference announced Friday two changes to Texas Tech's home football schedule, as the league opener against Houston will move to Friday, Sept. 18, while the regular-season finale against TCU will shift to a Thanksgiving Day matchup on Nov. 26 at Jones AT&T Stadium. Kickoff times and television designations for both contests will be announced at a later date.
The two date adjustments were part of nine non-Saturday games announced by the Big 12 following consultation with the league's primary television partners, FOX and ESPN.
The Red Raiders will take a break from their nonconference slate to host Houston in a prime-time Friday night window, giving Texas Tech a national audience in its Big 12 opener. It will be the Red Raiders' first Friday night game outside of Thanksgiving weekend since opening the 2013 season at SMU on Aug. 30 and the first at home since a 36-0 shutout of New Mexico during the 1941 season.
The Big 12 opener could feature a matchup of top-25 teams, as several media outlets have placed both programs in their respective preseason rankings. Texas Tech enters the matchup with six consecutive wins in the series and 11 victories in the past 12 meetings, including a 49-28 win last season in Houston.
In the second date change, the Red Raiders will play on Thanksgiving Day for the first time since 2015, when Texas Tech defeated Texas in Austin behind 372 passing yards from Patrick Mahomes II, 173 rushing yards and two touchdowns from DeAndre Washington and a late trick play from Jakeem Grant that sealed the win. It will mark the first time Texas Tech has hosted a Thanksgiving Day game since a 27-0 victory over Creighton in 1937. Texas Tech hosted seven Thanksgiving Day games between 1925 and 1937, which were the first 13 years of Red Raider football.
While it has been decades since a Thanksgiving Day game in Lubbock, the Red Raiders and Horned Frogs are no strangers to midweek matchups since TCU joined the conference in 2012. This will be the fourth Thursday meeting between the programs in that span, with Texas Tech holding a 3-0 record, most recently a 35-28 win in Lubbock in 2023.
Texas Tech will announce its theme game schedule in the coming weeks, including its Homecoming opponent. Single-game tickets are expected to go on sale in May, with additional details forthcoming.
The Red Raiders open a seven-game home slate Sept. 5 against Abilene Christian at Jones AT&T Stadium. The home schedule also includes Sam Houston State (Sept. 26), Arizona State (Oct. 17), Arizona (Oct. 31) and West Virginia (Nov. 7).
Texas Tech Football 2026 Regular Season Schedule
- Saturday, Sept. 5 vs. Abilene Christian
- Saturday, Sept. 12 at Oregon State
- Friday, Sept. 18 vs. Houston
- Saturday, Sept. 26 vs. Sam Houston
- Saturday, Oct. 3 at Colorado
- Saturday, Oct. 17 vs. Arizona State
- Saturday, Oct. 24 at Cincinnati
- Saturday, Oct. 31 vs. Arizona
- Saturday, Nov. 7 vs. West Virginia
- Saturday, Nov. 14 at Oklahoma State
- Saturday, Nov. 21 at Baylor
- Thursday, Nov. 26 vs. TCU
all kick off times are TBA
