Texas Tech · Big 12Texas Tech opens 2026 against Abilene Christian
The No. 12 Red Raiders begin their Big 12 title defense at 7 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 5, in Lubbock on FS1.
SEP 3, 2026
The Pate State · Editorial IllustrationNo. 12 Texas Tech will open its 2026 season against Abilene Christian at 7 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 5, in Lubbock, beginning its defense of the first Big 12 title in program history against an opponent already 0-1. FS1 will carry the game.
The Red Raiders went 12-2 overall and 8-1 in the Big 12 last season before losing 23-0 to Oregon in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Orange Bowl. Abilene Christian opened this season with a 21-14 loss to Lamar.
Texas Tech must avoid the early upset and build a clean start before traveling to Oregon State on Sept. 12, one week after the opener.
The Red Raiders have not identified their starting quarterback. Behren Morton is listed with 2,780 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions; Abilene Christian’s Stone Earle is listed with 3,285 yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
01 · The Detail Beneath the HeadlineWhat Most People Are Missing
Texas Tech’s first month is tighter than the opener suggests. The Red Raiders play four games from Sept. 5 through Sept. 26, with the Sept. 12 road date at Oregon State followed six days later by a Friday home game against Houston. Abilene Christian is the only opponent before that first trip, and Oregon State is the only game between the opener and the short Houston turnaround.
That calendar gives the unresolved quarterback call a cost beyond Saturday. Last season’s 8-1 Big 12 run ended with no points in the 23-0 Orange Bowl loss, and the opener is the cleanest scheduled window to establish the position before travel compresses the decisions.
02 · The Open QuestionsQuestions to Be Answered
Who takes the first snap at quarterback for Texas Tech?
Texas Tech has not named the opener’s starter, and Morton’s listed 2,780 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions provide the only Red Raiders quarterback production in the material. The answer determines who gets the first chance to move the offense past its scoreless Orange Bowl exit before the Sept. 12 trip to Oregon State. The opening lineup and quarterback snap count against Abilene Christian will provide the tell.
Can Texas Tech settle its offense before the Friday game against Houston?
The calendar allows little correction after game two: Texas Tech plays at Oregon State on Sept. 12 and hosts Houston six days later on Sept. 18. The scoring output and quarterback snap distribution against Abilene Christian will show whether the opener created clarity before the road game. The offensive performance at Oregon State then becomes the final evidence before that shortened turn into Houston.