Mississippi State Cancels Texas Tech Football Series

The SEC's move to a nine-game conference schedule forces the Bulldogs to drop the 2028-29 matchups.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Mississippi State has cancelled its planned 2028-29 football series against Texas Tech as a result of the Southeastern Conference's decision to shift to a nine-game conference schedule. The Bulldogs will no longer have to pay a $1 million buyout fee due to the SEC's addition of another league game.

Why it matters

The cancellation of the Texas Tech series is the latest casualty of the SEC's schedule changes, which have also led to the scrapping of future matchups against Washington State and Troy. Mississippi State now faces the challenge of finding new Power 5 conference opponents to fill out its future schedules in accordance with SEC requirements.

The details

According to reports, Mississippi State has decided to cancel the two-game series against Texas Tech that was scheduled for the 2028 and 2029 seasons. The Bulldogs will still need to find a replacement Power 5 opponent for those years, as per SEC rules. Mississippi State's future slate currently only includes one such matchup, a 2024 road game at Minnesota.

  • The SEC announced its decision to shift to a nine-game conference schedule in August 2025.
  • The Texas Tech series was originally scheduled for the 2028 and 2029 seasons.

The players

Zac Selmon

Mississippi State Director of Athletics, who must work to rebuild the Bulldogs' future schedules in line with SEC requirements.

Southeastern Conference

The athletic conference that has mandated a nine-game conference schedule for its member institutions, leading to the cancellation of several non-conference series.

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What’s next

Mississippi State must now find a suitable Power 5 opponent to replace the cancelled Texas Tech series in 2028 and 2029.

The takeaway

The SEC's shift to a nine-game conference schedule has forced Mississippi State to make difficult decisions about its future non-conference matchups, underscoring the challenges faced by programs in adapting to the league's new scheduling requirements.