Texas A&M is not interested in reviving a non-conference date with Texas Tech anytime soon.
According to college football insider Brett McMurphy, Texas A&M has turned down Texas Tech’s offer to schedule a future matchup, and head coach Joey McGuire said the Red Raiders have been casting a wide net without much luck. In an interview with On3 Sports, McGuire told McMurphy that Texas Tech has “reached out to everybody and anybody to schedule a non-conference matchup in 2027 and beyond,” only to hear the same answer from other schools that it got from the Aggies.
For Texas A&M, the timing simply does not make much sense. With the SEC moving to a nine-game conference schedule and the College Football Playoff continuing to reward total wins more than quality of opponent, adding a game against Texas Tech does not offer much upside. The Aggies already have a demanding slate ahead, including a home-and-home series with Arizona State in 2026 and 2027, followed by Louisville in 2028 and 2029.
Texas Tech’s struggle to line up non-conference opponents says plenty about the current state of college football. Schools like Texas A&M are already dealing with enough on their schedules without taking on another tough non-conference game, and the Red Raiders’ recent loss to Oregon in last season’s College Football Playoff has not helped their pitch. The article also points to the NIL era and controversy surrounding the university in recent months as possible reasons for the chilly reception.
In Other News...
Houston Is Building The Kind Of Big 12 Roster Fans Love
A preseason look at college football rosters suggests Houston is building in a way Big 12 fans tend to appreciate, leaning into the kind of regional identity that can help a program feel rooted instead of assembled. Rotowires study of the 2026 rosters across the FBS found that, on average, just 32.2% of players are homegrown, meaning their hometowns are in the same state as their school. Against that backdrop, the programs near the top stood out for keeping talent close to home, with San Jose State leading the way and other Texas schools also showing up prominently.
For Houston, the larger takeaway is less about one ranking than the recruiting philosophy it reflects. In a league where roster movement can be constant, a team that can stockpile more in-state talent gives fans something tangible to connect to, from familiar recruiting footprints to a roster that looks more like the region it represents. Georgias SEC profile offered the same lesson from a different corner of the sport, reinforcing that some of the strongest programs still value high school recruiting and local ties as much as any transfer-market shortcut. [Read more 🡒]
Conner Weigman Is Why Houston Fans Are Dreaming Bigger In 2026
Houstons offense took a real step forward from 2024 to 2025, and Conner Weigman was at the center of it. The quarterback accounted for 36 total touchdowns while giving the Cougars the kind of dual-threat production that can change the feel of a season, and the stability around him has only added to the optimism. After a healthy 2025 and an offseason without injuries or system changes, he has been able to spend more time on his mechanics and his body, which is exactly the kind of foundation a program wants when it starts thinking bigger.
Willie Fritz has already seen the difference, and Weigman has acknowledged the improvements, too, which is part of why the expectations around Houston keep rising. The preseason recognition has followed as well, with Weigman landing on the Maxwell Award watchlist for the second time, a reminder that the ceiling here is no longer hypothetical. For a team looking to turn offensive progress into something more lasting, the next step depends on how much more the quarterback can unlock. [Read more 🡒]
John Hebert Is Giving Houston Fans A Reason To Watch Early
Willie Fritz has made keeping Texas talent at home a priority, and Houstons 2026 class is already reflecting that approach. The group is headlined by five-star quarterback Keisean Henderson and backed by pieces like John Hebert, the Strake Jesuit standout who flipped his commitment from Washington State to Houston and gives the Cougars another local name fans can follow closely.
Hebert has also sounded comfortable with the move into college football, and his fall camp preparation has put him on the radar as someone who could help right away as a true freshman. For a program trying to build momentum with in-state recruiting and turn that into on-field production, having a young back arrive with both local roots and early buzz is exactly the kind of development that can make the opening stretch of the season feel worth watching. [Read more 🡒]