Texas Tech announced Friday that it has made changes to its 2027 football schedule, including the cancellation of non‑conference games against NC State and North Texas.
According to the university, NC State officials informed Texas Tech that they would exercise a buyout clause in the schools’ home‑and‑home agreement, canceling the 2027 matchup in Lubbock. The contract — previously obtained from both institutions — requires the canceling party to pay a $1 million fee.
NC State attributed its decision to the ACC’s recently adopted nine‑game conference schedule. The Big 12 Conference also plays a nine-game schedule, which both contain an imbalance of home and away games due to the odd number.
The first game of the Texas Tech-NC State series was played in Raleigh in 2022, where the Wolfpack defeated the Red Raiders 27-14.
With the NC State home game removed from the slate, Texas Tech has elected to cancel its scheduled road trip to North Texas on September 11, 2027. The move ensures the Red Raiders maintain at least six home games for the 2027 season.
Texas Tech is currently in the process of securing a replacement power conference opponent for the 2027 season as well as another non-conference game to replace North Texas.
“We have actively been working on our 2027 football schedule for several weeks now and hope to have a new agreement with a power conference and FBS school finalized soon,” Texas Tech Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt said.
Texas Tech is currently scheduled to open the 2027 season at home against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on September 4.
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College football is totally messed up. Cancellation of non-conference games left and right. Total emphasis on conference play. No engaging non-conference games. Measurement only against conference members. TV and written sports journalism will build up certain conferences because that is how they both get attention.
Can help it that SEC & ACC are going to nine game conference schedules.
I have zero issues with cancelled OOC games.
Yes, now that players are getting paid, let's dumb down schedules. Thank God we have scintillating matchups like NC State-BC and Texas Tech-Cincinnati to replace potentially interesting non conference games. The 9th conference game was the worst thing these conferences did, but I guess when you jam 14-18 teams in a nationwide conference, you need to add more conference games, no matter how unattractive the matchups are. I will never understand fans that crave more FCS games or bottom feeding G5 teams filling power conference schedules.
Gerry, please give conference games like Michigan-USC, Georgia-Oklahoma, Oklahoma State-Arizona & Syracuse-California a chance.
Money is paving way for more conference games & that is excellent.
Rivalry games belong on last weekend of season.