There will be one fewer road game on the Texas Tech football schedule as a result of teams opting for extended conference seasons.
LUBBOCK, Texas - More and more teams are adopting an extended conference schedule, which has impacted Texas Tech's non-conference slate for the 2027 season.
According to a release on Friday, Texas Tech has dropped one road game (at North Texas) and one home game (N.C. State) from its 2027 schedule due to the ACC altering its conference play format.
N.C. State has chose to utilize a buyout clause that cancels the Wolfpack's trip to Lubbock in 2027, a part of the two-game series that saw Texas Tech travel to Raleigh in 2022, to make room for an additional conference game.
The ACC, like the Big 12, is moving to a nine-game conference schedule, which contains an imbalance in home and road games due to the odd number and adds a whinkle of difficulty in planning for the future.
The game at North Texas has been removed because Texas Tech needs to replace the N.C. State matchup in order to maintain a minimum of six total home games.
The Red Raiders are now "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," said Texas Tech Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt.
These changes have impacted other Big 12 teams, as well, with North Texas announcing it will now face TCU after the Horned Frogs' game against Stanford was cancelled.
N.C. State will now reportedly host Kansas State in 2027 to secure a non-conference requirement.
For now, the Red Raiders will turn their attention to the 2026 slate, where early projections have Texas Tech winning at least 11 games and once again being in contention for a Big 12 title and CFP berth.
The first game of the upcoming season is scheduled for Sep. 5 at home versus Abilene Christian, marking just the second time the two West Texas programs have faced off since the 1940s.
The series's last matchup saw the Wildcats nearly earn an upset win to begin the 2024 season, but the Red Raiders prevailed 52-51 in overtime on Aug. 31 in Lubbock. According to Tech Athletics' archives, ACU has not beaten Texas Tech head-to-head since 1929.
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