Overview
- Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire publicly challenged Texas to play in Week 1 and said he is willing to buy out his team’s opener, a stance he made at the Big 12 spring meetings on Thursday.
- Mega‑booster Cody Campbell posted that he would cover reported buyouts for both teams’ scheduled openers, with media estimates for the two buyouts totaling about $2.4 million.
- McGuire said Abilene Christian and Texas State have agreed to swap games so Texas and Texas Tech could meet, but athletic‑department approvals, season‑ticket commitments and TV deals make an immediate swap unlikely.
- The challenge was provoked by Texas coach Steve Sarkisian’s May remark questioning the strength of an in‑state team’s schedule and comes after Texas Tech’s 2025 Big 12 title and College Football Playoff berth.
- Beyond the rivalry angle, the episode spotlights how boosters and neutral sites like AT&T Stadium can shape scheduling and could renew public debate over how strength of schedule factors into CFP evaluations.