Posted By Brian Holland
bholland@kamc.tv
@BHollandSports
LUBBOCK, Tx — After compiling possibly the most challenging non-conference slate in school history a year ago, Tom Stone has built yet another tough schedule for the 2015 season.
Texas Tech, coming off its first-ever Sweet 16 appearance, will face a total of five non-conference opponents who advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season as part of the 2015 schedule that was announced Wednesday.
“We have certainly challenged ourselves with the toughest schedule in years from an RPI standpoint,” Stone said. “We will have to be at our best throughout the year and hope that the Big 12 has another great season after such a successful 2014 campaign. We have several seniors who will be getting a lot of minutes so we can fortunately lean on experience while we navigate this upcoming season.”
The Red Raiders open the season on Aug. 21 against regular national-title contender USC as part of the Lobo Invitational hosted by New Mexico. Tech closes the weekend with an Aug. 23 match against the host Lobos.
The match against USC is one of three against members of the Pac-12 Conference, the No. 1 league according to RPI a year ago. Tech will also travel to face Arizona and Arizona State – both NCAA second round teams in 2014 – on Sept. 11-13 during the Arizona ‘Cats Classic in Tucson. The Red Raiders are a two-time ‘Cats Classic champion, winning the tournament title in each of their appearances during the 2011 and 2013 seasons.
In between, Tech will open its home slate at the John Walker Soccer Complex with an Aug. 28 showdown with another NCAA Championship participant from a year ago in Georgia. The Bulldogs will be the first SEC team to travel to Lubbock since Ole Miss in 2011.
Over half of Tech’s 11 non-conference matches will come against schools from one of the five highly-visible conferences as the Red Raiders will also host Minnesota on Sept. 6. It will be the first meeting between the two schools since Tech defeated the Golden Gophers, 3-0, at home in the opening round match of the 2013 NCAA Championship.
Tech’s non-conference slate also features home dates against UTSA (Sept. 4) and Florida Atlantic (Sept. 18) as well as South Florida (Sept. 20), the reigning American Athletic Conference Tournament champion. The Red Raiders will make a return trip to Cal State Northridge on Sept. 27 to close non-conference play.
The Red Raiders open Big 12 action with back-to-back matches on the road, beginning with a trip to Oklahoma on Sept. 25. Tech will also travel to Oklahoma State on Oct. 2 before hosting TCU a week later on Oct. 9.
The TCU match will begin the longest homestand of the year for the Red Raiders, who will host West Virginia on Oct. 11 and Texas on Oct. 16. Kansas will also head to Lubbock on Oct. 23 to close out Tech’s home slate.
The Red Raiders will travel to Baylor (Oct. 18) and Iowa State (Oct. 30) late in the season before turning its attention to the Big 12 Championship held Nov. 4-8 at the Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City.
Stone returns the bulk of his roster, including eight starters, from his 2014 club that finished 16-4-1 overall after victories over Prairie View A&M and Auburn during the NCAA Championship run to the Sweet 16. Tech closed the 2014 season ranked 14th nationally in the final NSCAA top-25 poll.
(Press Release Provided by Texas Tech Athletics Department)
| 08/15/15 | at Denver | Denver, Colo. | TBA |
| Lobo Invitational | |||
| 08/21/15 | vs. USC | Albuquerque, N.M. | 6:00 p.m. CT |
| 08/23/15 | at New Mexico | Albuquerque, N.M. | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| 08/28/15 | vs. Georgia | Lubbock, Texas | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 09/05/15 | vs. UTSA | Lubbock, Texas | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 09/06/15 | vs. Minnesota | Lubbock, Texas | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| Arizona Cats Classic | |||
| 09/10/15 | at Arizona | Tucson, Ariz. | 9:00 p.m. CT |
| 09/13/15 | vs. Arizona State | Tucson, Ariz. | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| 09/18/15 | vs. Florida Atlantic | Lubbock, Texas | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 09/20/15 | vs. USF | Lubbock, Texas | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| 09/25/15 | at Oklahoma | Norman, Okla. | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 09/27/15 | at Cal State Northridge | Northridge, Calif. | TBA |
| 10/02/15 | at Oklahoma State | Stillwater, Okla. | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/09/15 | vs. TCU | Lubbock, Texas | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/11/15 | vs. West Virginia | Lubbock, Texas | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/16/15 | vs. Texas | Lubbock, Texas | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/18/15 | at Baylor | Waco, Texas | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/23/15 | vs. Kansas | Lubbock, Texas | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/30/15 | at Iowa State | Ames, Iowa | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| Big 12 Championship | |||
| 11/04/15 | Big 12 Quarterfinals | Kansas City, Mo. | TBA |
| 11/06/15 | Big 12 Semifinals | Kansas City, Mo. | TBA |
| 11/08/15 | Big 12 Title Match | Kansas City, Mo. | TBA |
(Press Release Provided by Texas Tech Athletics Department)