Joey McGuire wants more in-state non-conference games, and SMU could be the perfect opponent to reignite a Texas rivalry with real national stakes.
SMU football may have just landed on Texas Tech’s future wish list.
Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire used Big 12 Media Days to push again for more nonconference games between major programs inside Texas.
While Texas and Texas A&M grabbed most of the attention, McGuire also specifically named SMU as a team he’d like to see on the schedule.
That should get Rhett Lashlee’s attention.
SMU has worked aggressively to raise its national profile, and a home-and-home series with Texas Tech would deliver exactly the kind of regional matchup that creates buzz, ticket demand and recruiting stakes.
Dallas and Lubbock sit in different football worlds, but both programs compete for many of the same prospects across the state.
There’s also a growing contrast between the two schools. SMU has embraced life in a new conference and positioned itself as a rising national brand, while Texas Tech enters the season as one of the Big 12’s leading contenders under McGuire.
Put them on the same field and the matchup instantly carries weight.
McGuire’s scheduling argument is simple: Texas has enough quality football programs that schools shouldn’t need to travel across the country searching for compelling nonconference opponents.
He previously tried to create room for a Texas-Texas Tech opener by offering to help clear the Longhorns’ Week 1 schedule, though that proposal never gained traction.
SMU may be a more realistic target.
The Mustangs would gain another prominent in-state opponent, while Texas Tech could answer some criticism surrounding its schedule strength.
More importantly, both programs would get a game their fan bases could actually care about beyond playoff résumés and television inventory.
College football has lost too many regional rivalries to realignment.
A Texas Tech-SMU series wouldn’t fix everything, but it would give the state another meaningful matchup—and one with enough edge to become personal very quickly.
Follow Timm Hamm on X at @IndyCarTim.
Join Our Roundtable Community For Free!
Share your takes, connect with our Roundtable writers, and talk sports with fellow fans. Download the free Roundtable App today and stay closer to the conversation.
