No. 12 Texas Tech opens 2026 season Saturday

Ranked No. 12 in the country, Texas Tech football opens its 102nd season Saturday when the Red Raiders host Abilene Christian at Galaxy Stadium at 6 p.m. CT.

The game airs nationally on FS1, with Dan Hellie on play-by-play and Robert Smith in the analyst chair. Fans without cable can stream it through the FOX Sports app. The Texas Tech Sports Network will also carry the game across more than 20 affiliates throughout Texas and New Mexico.

Galaxy Stadium holds 60,229, and a top-15 ranking gives this opener a different feel than a typical September tune-up. Abilene Christian makes the trip from the Lone Star State, so expect a crowd that came to see the Red Raiders prove the preseason hype is real, not just enjoy a warmup act.

For people here, this is the first chance to see where Joey McGuire's squad actually stands after a summer of camp and speculation. A ranking that high in week one puts a target on the program immediately, and every game from here carries a little more weight because of it.

Entering the season ranked in the top 12 is something that does not happen every fall.