Texas Tech’s search for a Power Four non-conference opponent just got a little harder.
A school official confirmed Wednesday that talks with Southern California about a two-game series - one in 2027 in Houston and another in 2028 in Las Vegas - fell apart, leaving the Red Raiders with even less time to patch together their future schedules. On3’s Brett McMurphy reported this week that USC backed away from the arrangement, and officials from both schools acknowledged the talks had gone nowhere.
“There was an element to that series that we've been working on for several months,” Tech deputy athletics director Jonathan Botros said, “and I think everybody did their best to make it happen. ... We were all in.
It would have been, I think, a fantastic matchup for fans of both teams, so we put a lot of effort into making that happen. It just didn't come together at the end.”
USC’s Cody Worsham also clarified that the deal never reached the finish line.
“A point of clarity I want to make is - Brett McMurphy's tweet didn't quite cover this: We never actually reached an agreement to play Texas Tech. We did have conversations, obviously.”
Worsham did not say why USC’s interest faded, but the school issued a statement saying, “Texas Tech is one of many schools we have had conversations with regarding future non-conference scheduling opportunities. We will continue to play competitive matchups that align with our program’s goals, excite our fans, and position USC Football for success.”
For Tech, the missed opportunity lands at a bad time. The Red Raiders already saw North Carolina State buy out of a 2027 game in Lubbock, and Mississippi State canceled a 2028 and 2029 home-and-home series. Those moves came after the ACC and SEC shifted from eight-game to nine-game conference schedules, tightening the market for outside games.
Botros said the USC setback makes the situation more cramped.
“It’s tight. It’s uncomfortable, right?”
Botros said. “You want to keep yourself open to providing a matchup that puts you in the best possible spot as it relates to vying for a playoff spot, also bringing a matchup that brings excitement to the fans and provides for the opportunity for great viewership.
“But at the same time, there's very, very limited opportunities at this point. The overwhelming majority of schools have a full slate. I've been texting with a few ADs this morning, and between (their) already having a Power Four opponent or having a full schedule, you get to a point where there's just not a lot of options, so the timing, really, has been challenging for us.”
That means the obvious-looking list of possible replacements may not be so obvious after all. Botros said some of the names floating around simply do not fit.
“I've seen some of those same reports,” Botros said. “I don't know where some of those schools come from.
Ole Miss, for example, I know is full for next year. Virginia is a school we talked to early on.
That's not one that I think has any potential at this point.”
When asked about Virginia specifically, he added, “It was not for a lack of interest. I know it was just based on opponents and what they had available versus what we could do at the time.”
One thing Tech does have going for it: Joey McGuire is open to just about any opponent.
“There hasn't been a single matchup or potential opponent that we've brought him,” Botros said, “including having discussions with CFP teams from a year ago, that he's said, 'No, don't want to talk about that one.' ”
Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt wants seven home games every year, both to help the Red Raiders’ College Football Playoff chances and to maximize revenue from Galaxy Stadium’s new south end zone building. With the schedule clock ticking, Tech may have to get creative to make that happen.
“You talk to schools about the opportunity to play a neutral-site game with NIL opportunities and financial opportunities that they may be interested in moving off of one of their current games,” Botros said. “That's something that we're looking at as well. We're really trying to look at every angle of this.”
If nothing materializes, Tech may need to ask the Big 12 for relief from the conference rule requiring at least one Power Four non-conference opponent every season.
“We'd have to have a conversation with them based on the timing of everything and the effort that we've put into trying to find a P4,” Botros said. “We'd have to talk to them, because that requirement is still there.
I think the Big Ten doesn't have that requirement, but the other Power Four leagues do. At this point, with how close we are, there is potential that we'd have to look at playing a Group of Six opponent.”
In Other News...
JT Toppin Puts Texas Tech In A Huge 2026-27 Debate
With so many of last seasons All-Americans moving on, the early conversation about college basketballs best player in 2026-27 already feels wide open, and Texas Tech has every reason to be part of it. The field is unusually thin at the top, with only three All-Americans from the previous season back in the mix, which has opened the door for returning stars, proven producers and even a few newcomers to claim the spotlight.
Jeremy Fears Jr. of Michigan State enters as one of the clearest early candidates because of his experience and statistical impact, while Juke Harris at Tennessee and Thomas Haugh at Florida also have the kind of profiles that can force their way into the discussion. For Texas Tech, the bigger picture is straightforward: JT Toppin is positioned to give the Red Raiders a real stake in a debate that could swing on who develops, who stays healthy and which elite talents arrive ready to matter right away. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Suddenly Faces Real Pressure On Its Conference Future
Conference realignment talk has been parked for a while, but a proposed change in Washington could put it right back on the table for Texas Tech and the rest of the Big 12. Florida U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody has ed an amendment to the Protect College Sports Act that would reshape the penalty structure for schools changing leagues, and it comes at a time when the Red Raiders are already in the middle of a noisy stretch of off-field scrutiny, including the legal fight that allowed quarterback Brendan Sorsby to play despite an NCAA suspension.
For Texas Tech, the concern is not just abstract league politics. Any shift in the way conference exits are regulated could alter the calculus for schools weighing their long-term future, especially if the major powers start looking at the SEC or Big Ten as more attractive landing spots. The Red Raiders would not be the only school watching closely, but they are among the programs that now have to wonder whether the ground under the Big 12 is about to move again. [Read more 🡒]