Red Raiders' Joey McGuire Dares Longhorns to Revive Texas Tech Rivalry

Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire isn’t just poking the Texas Longhorns anymore. He’s throwing the whole challenge flag.

The Red Raiders’ boss wants Texas Tech and the Texas Longhorns to restart their rivalry immediately, and he’s not talking about some vague future scheduling wish.

READ MORE: Texas Tech's Joey McGuire Puts Sark On Blast, Challenges Longhorns To Play in Week 1

McGuire wants it this season, in Week 1, and he says there’s already a plan that could make it happen.

According to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, McGuire said he has spoken with Abilene Christian coach Keith Patterson and Texas State coach G.J. Kinne about rearranging the Sept. 5 schedule. The idea would send Abilene Christian to Texas State, freeing Texas Tech and Texas to play each other instead.

“I've actually talked to Keith Patterson, and I've talked to G.J. Kinne,” McGuire said, per the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, “and they're willing to take our games, and Abilene Christian will go to Texas State.

"We'll buy our contract out with Abilene Christian. I'm sure, because Texas has got a lot of money, they can buy their contract out [with Texas State].”

Then came the jab.

“I do know there's a lot of Red Raiders that will help them buy that contract out if they don't want to, and they can come to Lubbock week one, and we can figure out if their twos and threes can win this conference,” McGuire said.

That line was aimed straight at Steve Sarkisian, who recently suggested at a Houston alumni event that Texas’ backups could go undefeated against another in-state team’s schedule.

Sarkisian said, “There’s a team in our state in another conference with a schedule that I would argue if I played with our twos and threes, we could go undefeated, and they’ll probably make the CFP this year.”

McGuire also said Texas Tech would be willing to play at AT&T Stadium in Arlington if Texas doesn’t want to come to Lubbock. Tech regents chairman Cody Campbell later posted that Tech athletics would pay both buyouts.

The Red Raiders are also hunting future Power Four games after Mississippi State and NC State backed out of series.

McGuire even offered to step into Texas’ Notre Dame dates if the Longhorns move on.

“And so we'll take that game if they want to get out of it,” McGuire said.

“I love [Notre Dame coach] Marcus Freeman. We've become friends over some of my comments about Notre Dame, and so Notre Dame, don't beat me up, but if Texas doesn't want to play Notre Dame, then we'd love to play Notre Dame in '28 and '29.”

McGuire admitted Texas blasted Tech 57-7 in 2023, saying, “he played some of his twos and threes. They kicked the crap out of us.” 

Still, he wants the smoke.

“If they want to play week one, then we're ready. We would love to play the University of Texas,” McGuire said.

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