No. 12 Texas Tech opened the 2026 football season Saturday night with a 33-10 win over Abilene Christian inside Galaxy Stadium in Lubbock.
The matchup also marked the start of Year 5 of the Joey McGuire era at Texas Tech, and the Red Raiders wasted no time settling into the new season. Texas Tech entered at 12-2 a year ago, including an 11-1 mark in conference play, while Abilene Christian came in at 9-5 overall and 7-1 in conference play.
Texas Tech now leads the series 7-3 after the latest meeting, a one-point shootout in 2024 that ended 52-51 in the Red Raiders’ favor on Aug. 31.
McGuire is now 35-18 at Texas Tech, while Abilene Christian coach Keith Patterson sits at 30-21.
Saturday’s game was played with several gameday changes already in place around the stadium. Texas Tech closed Wes Kittley Drive of Champions between 8th Street and Canton Avenue beginning three hours before kickoff to improve pedestrian safety, with the area remaining closed to vehicles until roughly an hour after the game. The heaviest traffic typically builds around Gate 1, where Raider Walk, Raider Alley, west-side ticket holders and students headed to Gate 6 all converge.
Fans entering Galaxy Stadium also went through the new Evolv Weapons Detection System at every gate. Texas Tech first used the scanners last April during the Spring Game and the George Strait concerts at the stadium, and the university says the system will speed up entry while creating a safer environment. The same technology will also be used at select events inside United Supermarkets Arena.
Texas Tech also rolled out its new “Every Seat Counts” program, which rewards Red Raider Club members based on attendance at home football and men’s basketball games. Original ticket holders who attend at least 75 percent of home contests can earn priority points, with five points awarded for 75 to 84 percent attendance, 15 points for 85 to 99 percent and 25 points for every home event in football or men’s basketball. Fans who can’t attend are encouraged to donate tickets through the Veteran Tickets Foundation, transfer them to someone else through the Texas Tech online ticket portal or mobile app, or sell them on SeatGeek.
For students, Texas Tech introduced a new loyalty system beginning with the 2026-27 academic year that will allow them to reserve tickets in advance for home games in Galaxy Stadium and United Supermarkets Arena. Students can find details at RedRaiderLoyalty.com, including when to request tickets each week and how to download the Texas Tech Mobile App.
The Red Raiders are also sticking with mobile ticketing and their “tap and go” system. All football tickets remain 100 percent mobile only, but QR code scanning is going away.
Instead, fans will tap their downloaded mobile ticket near the scanner for wireless entry, and those with multiple tickets will need to swipe through each one before tapping. Texas Tech no longer accepts screenshots of mobile tickets, and fans are urged to download tickets before arriving to avoid delays and connectivity issues.
Texas Tech also plans to bring back drone shows this season. Three are scheduled for the 2026 season, with all three of the Red Raiders’ night games so far - against Abilene Christian, Houston and TCU - set to include a different drone show. Fireworks are also planned each time Texas Tech scores at home this season.
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NCAA rules do allow game periods to be shortened by mutual agreement during a game, but it is the kind of exception that usually shows up only when weather or another unusual circumstance forces the issue. In this case, it came in the middle of a one-sided game, a reminder that even in blowouts there can still be a rare layer of administrative wrinkle to sort through before the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Opens Season With An Early Defensive Problem
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Malik Esquerra and Ansel Nedore are set to step in for Jordan and White, giving Texas Tech an early look at two players who now have to absorb bigger roles right away. For a defense that wanted to settle in quickly in September, the challenge is obvious: build continuity fast, survive the opening stretch, and hope the missing pieces return before the season gets any more demanding. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Just Got Two Early Rotation Signs Fans Should Notice
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The other encouraging sign came on the defensive side, where Jamond Mathis took on a bigger role with several injured starters out. Mathis finished with six tackles and 2.5 sacks, the kind of production that can help steady a defense when the rotation gets tested, and it gives Texas Tech something real to watch as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]