Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian may have been trading jabs with Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire in public, but behind the scenes he also reached out with support during a messy offseason for the Red Raiders.
The latest wrinkle in the Texas-Texas Tech exchange came as McGuire dealt with the fallout from the Brendan Sorsby situation, an episode that drew national attention and plenty of criticism toward Texas Tech. According to NBC Sports insider Nicole Auerbach, McGuire said Sarkisian “texted him and was like, ‘Man, this is not in the head coach's manual anywhere.’” Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris also “texted a ‘wellness check’” to McGuire.
That off-field support stood in contrast to the more public needle between the two programs. At Big 12 Media Days in Frisco, Texas, on July 7, McGuire said Texas Tech was “ready to roll” against Texas. He also kept pushing the rivalry angle at The Star, saying the Red Raiders would like to play the top teams in Texas - including Texas, Texas A&M and SMU - in order to preserve the old Southwest Conference rivalries.
Still, Sarkisian found time for one more shot while the Sorsby matter was unfolding. During an appearance on Up & Adams, he told Kay Adams, “The way these injunctions are going, Pat Mahomes might be playing quarterback for Texas Tech again before Joey’s done.”
The controversy centered on Texas Tech’s backing of transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby after the NCAA investigated him over alleged gambling habits, including betting on Indiana while he was with the Hoosiers. The NCAA ruled Sorsby ineligible for the 2026 season, but Sorsby took the organization to court with Texas Tech’s support.
He eventually received a temporary injunction that let him play out his senior season with a two-game suspension. Even so, the pressure and backlash from programs around the country pushed Sorsby to leave Tech and prepare for the 2027 NFL draft.
McGuire said the response hit hard. He noted that several athletic directors targeted Texas Tech, and some even wanted the Red Raiders removed from their schedules. At the same time, he said some coaches, including Sarkisian, reached out privately to offer support.
The public back-and-forth hasn’t cooled much, either. McGuire kept the conversation going at Big 12 Media Days, telling Double T Sports Network, “There was a gentleman's agreement with ADs that we would continue to play, and [Texas] chose not to.”
Texas’ non-conference schedule is already full, so adding Texas Tech in 2026 looks unlikely. But if McGuire’s goal is to bring back the regional rivalries that faded with conference realignment, the debate is already doing plenty of work.
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