Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire is not backing down from a verbal sparring match with Texas’ Steve Sarkisian. Following critical remarks from Sarkisian regarding the Red Raiders’ strength of schedule, McGuire has issued a direct challenge: let’s settle the debate on the field during the opening week of the season.
Currently, the Longhorns are scheduled to open against Texas State, while Texas Tech is set to host Abilene Christian. However, McGuire revealed that he has already explored the logistics of a late-season schedule swap. After speaking with ACU’s Keith Patterson and Texas State’s GJ Kinne, McGuire claims both programs are willing to step aside and play each other if the primary contracts are bought out.
McGuire emphasized that the financial hurdles wouldn’t be an issue, noting Texas’ significant resources and the willingness of Red Raider boosters—specifically mentioning Cody Campbell—to facilitate the change. He proposed that the Longhorns travel to Lubbock for Week 1 to prove if their roster depth is as superior as Sarkisian suggested. If a trip to Lubbock is a dealbreaker, McGuire noted that conversations have already reached out to the Jones family regarding a potential neutral-site showdown at AT&T Stadium.
The Motivation Behind the Longhorns’ Provocation
The tension stems from comments Sarkisian made at the Houston Touchdown Club. During a discussion about the College Football Playoff selection process, Sarkisian expressed frustration over the 9-3 Longhorns being excluded from the field. He pointed toward an in-state rival in another conference, suggesting their schedule was so weak that Texas’ second and third-string players could navigate it without a loss.
McGuire admitted he initially sought out the full context of the clip to see if Sarkisian had named Texas Tech directly. Finding the remarks pointed enough to be undeniable, McGuire took the slight as an opportunity to advocate for a high-stakes rivalry game that fans across the state would welcome.
Historical Context and 2026 Program Outlooks
The two programs are coming off vastly different 2025 campaigns. Texas entered last season as the preseason No. 1 but became the first team since 2012 USC to finish outside the top 10 after a preseason top ranking. While the Longhorns missed out on the postseason entirely, Texas Tech capitalized on their opportunities, winning the Big 12 and securing the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff. Despite a difficult 23-0 loss to Oregon in the Orange Bowl, the Red Raiders established themselves as a championship-caliber program.
Looking toward 2026, both schools are expected to be in the hunt for conference titles and playoff berths. Texas faces one of the nation’s most grueling schedules in the SEC, highlighted by a home game against Ohio State. In contrast, Texas Tech’s non-conference slate lacks a Power Four opponent due to the fallout of the Pac-12’s collapse, and they also avoid top Big 12 contenders like Utah and BYU this year.
The rivalry between the two schools spans over 70 meetings. While McGuire led the Red Raiders to a dramatic upset in 2022 during Texas’ final visit to Lubbock as a Big 12 member, the Longhorns dominated the most recent meeting in 2023 with a 57-7 victory in Austin. A Week 1 meeting would serve as a tiebreaker for the recent back-and-forth between the two coaching staffs.
Summary of the Proposed Week 1 Rivalry Matchup
Joey McGuire’s challenge to Steve Sarkisian highlights the competitive friction that remains between these two Texas programs despite being in different conferences. By offering to buy out existing contracts and even suggesting a neutral-site venue, McGuire is putting the pressure on Texas to back up their coach’s claims of roster superiority. Whether the game actually happens or remains a hypothetical, it adds a new chapter to one of the state’s most storied football rivalries.
