Texas Tech Football 2026 Schedule: Full Breakdown and Season Outlook

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Dog the Texas Tech schedule all you want, it still managed to win the Big 12 Championship last season and get to the College Football Playoff.

No, the team isn’t exactly extending itself this year, but welcome to the world – this is how you’re supposed to do it.

Why take the chance of getting hit with another loss when you can use your three non-conference games as tune-ups for when it matters? Here’s our breakdown of the 2026 Texas Tech schedule.

The Good, the Bad, and Who Texas Tech Misses in 2026

Jan 1, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire on the sidelines against the Oregon Ducks during the first half of the 2025 Orange Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Hard Rock Stadium. © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Good

There’s no Utah or BYU. There are other good teams in the Big 12, but the Utes and Cougars should be the nastiest of the bunch, and the Red Raiders don’t have to deal with them. And, again, the non-conference schedule of Abilene Christian, Oregon State, and Sam Houston is nice and breezy.

The Bad

No, there’s no BYU or Utah, but missing Kansas and UCF isn’t a plus. The back-to-back games against Oklahoma State and Baylor in mid-November will be challenging if those two are back up to speed after rough 2025s.

What Big 12 Teams Texas Tech Will Miss

BYU, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, UCF, Utah. Again, BYU and Utah are missing, and not having to play Iowa State or Kansas State – even in transition seasons for both – isn’t a bad deal.

Texas Tech’s Best and Worst Case Scenarios in 2026

Best Case: The schedule is as easy as it seems

The Red Raiders rip through this and walk right into the Big 12 Championship again. All of the toughest Big 12 games are at home, and they handle them all with ease, and get through the light away slate – four of the five teams didn’t go bowling – without a problem.

Worst Case: The home games aren’t that easy

There’s a slip against a Colorado or Cincinnati on the road, but the home dates against Arizona, Arizona State, Houston, and TCU are all more difficult than they seem – and don’t blow off West Virginia if the offense starts to work. The Red Raiders drop two games they shouldn’t and miss out on the Big 12 Championship.