Texas Tech Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt announced Thursday a two-game agreement with Abilene Christian that will bring the Wildcats to Jones AT&T Stadium during both the 2024 and 2026 seasons.
As part of the agreement, Tech will open both of those seasons against the Wildcats as the 2024 contest is set for Aug. 31 while the 2026 meeting will take place on Sept. 5.
Despite being separated by less than 200 miles, Tech and Abilene Christian have not faced each other on the gridiron since 1949 as the Wildcats moved to the NCAA Division II level shortly after the last meeting between the two schools. ACU joined the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) prior to the 2014 campaign.
The Red Raiders are 6-3 all-time against the Wildcats as Tech has won each of the previous four meetings against ACU, including a 20-0 shutout to open the 1949 season. Tech played the Wildcats in each of the first seven seasons in program history (1925-31) and then again in both 1941 and 1949.
The Abilene Christian series adds to the slew of future non-conference contests lined up for the Red Raiders in future years as Tech also has agreements with Eastern Washington (2017), Houston (2017-18, 2021-22), Montana State (2019), UTEP (2019-20), Wyoming (2020, 2023), North Texas (2024, 2027) and Colorado State (2025-26).
In addition, Tech is also set to face several power-five opponents in futures years as the Red Raiders will complete a home-and-home series against Arizona State this fall before facing Arizona (2019-20), N.C. State (2022, 2027) and Oregon (2023-24).
The Red Raiders, who are in the midst of spring practices, open the 2017 season on Sept. 2 when Eastern Washington travels to Jones AT&T Stadium. Season tickets can be purchased online or by contacting the Texas Tech Ticket Office at 806-742-TECH.
Tech fans can catch the Red Raiders in action three times this spring, beginning Saturday at Grande Communications Stadium in Midland. The annual scrimmage starts at 1 p.m. with tailgating available beginning at 8 a.m. that morning.
The Red Raiders travel to the Dallas-Fort Worth area the following week to host their Spring Game at The Star in Frisco. Kickoff for that game is slated for 3 p.m. on April 1 inside the Ford Center.
Tech closes the spring with a “Saturday Night Lights” scrimmage on April 8 inside Jones AT&T Stadium. The scrimmage begins at 7 p.m. with a postgame autograph session planned immediately following on the stadium turf.
COURTESY OF TEXAS TECH ATHLETICS
