Texas Tech’s 2026-27 Big 12 basketball schedule includes road trips to Kansas and Houston, plus marquee home games against Arizona and BYU.
Texas Tech basketball now knows exactly what awaits once the calendar flips to 2027, and the Big 12 isn’t giving Grant McCasland’s Red Raiders much time to ease into conference play.
Texas Tech opens its 2026-27 Big 12 schedule on Jan. 2 at Cincinnati, beginning an 18-game conference grind that includes road trips to Kansas, Houston, TCU and Kansas State along with heavyweight home matchups against Arizona, Iowa State and BYU.
The Red Raiders will play Cincinnati, Houston and UCF twice while facing the other 12 Big 12 opponents once.
That format creates several stretches that could define Texas Tech’s season.
After the Cincinnati opener, Tech returns to Lubbock to host Baylor on Jan. 6 before traveling to TCU on Jan. 9.
Three straight home games follow against Arizona State, Iowa State and Arizona, with the Wildcats visiting United Supermarkets Arena on Friday, Jan. 22.
February could be considerably nastier.
Texas Tech travels to Colorado on Feb. 2 and then heads to Allen Fieldhouse to face Kansas four days later.
After hosting West Virginia, the Red Raiders welcome Houston to Lubbock on Feb. 15 for an ESPN Big Monday matchup scheduled for 8 p.m.
Houston is one of only three conference opponents Tech will see twice.
McCasland has repeatedly embraced difficult scheduling. Discussing another marquee matchup this offseason, he said playing quality opponents will “really help us get better.”
The Big 12 schedule certainly provides plenty of those opportunities.
Texas Tech went 23-11 overall and 12-6 in conference play last season, tying for third in the Big 12 and reaching the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season under McCasland.
The Red Raiders also recorded four victories over top-10 opponents, highlighted by a road upset of No. 1 Arizona.
Their 2026-27 schedule offers no shortage of chances to build another postseason résumé.
The closing stretch could be particularly important. Texas Tech visits UCF on Feb. 20 and Kansas State on Feb. 24 before returning home for Cincinnati on Feb. 27.
The Red Raiders then travel to Utah on March 2 before closing the regular season against BYU in Lubbock on Friday, March 5.
Before any of that, Tech will test itself with a demanding nonconference schedule featuring Illinois, Louisville, USC and Duke.
That seems appropriate.
In the Big 12, preparation time ends quickly. Once January arrives, almost every night looks like an NCAA Tournament game.
