Texas Tech Loses 2 Games in 2027 Schedule After ACC Changes

Reigning Big 12 champion forced to cancel games against North Carolina State and North Texas.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 12:24am

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A cubist, geometric illustration depicting a fragmented college football game, with sharp planes of red, black, and white representing the colors of Texas Tech and North Carolina State.The cancellation of nonconference matchups due to conference scheduling changes forces Texas Tech to rework its 2027 football calendar.Lubbock Today

Reigning Big 12 champion Texas Tech has open slots on its 2027 football schedule after the cancellations of two nonconference games. North Carolina State cited changes in Atlantic Coast Conference scheduling when utilizing a buyout clause in the home-and-home agreement between the schools, while Texas Tech in turn canceled its scheduled 2027 game at North Texas.

Why it matters

The loss of these two games creates scheduling challenges for Texas Tech as they look to fill their 2027 calendar. The ACC's move to a nine-game league schedule and requirement for at least 10 games against power-conference opponents has led to the cancellation of several nonconference matchups across the country.

The details

North Carolina State was supposed to play in Lubbock in 2027 after beating the Red Raiders at home in 2022, but the Wolfpack cited ACC scheduling changes in utilizing a buyout clause. With the loss of that home game, Texas Tech then canceled its scheduled 2027 game at North Texas. Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt said the school hopes to soon finalize new agreements with a power conference and FBS school to fill the open slots.

  • The North Carolina State game was originally scheduled for 2027.
  • The North Texas game was originally scheduled for 2027.

The players

Texas Tech

The reigning Big 12 champion football team.

North Carolina State

An ACC football team that was scheduled to play Texas Tech in 2027 but canceled the game due to conference scheduling changes.

North Texas

An FBS football team that was scheduled to play Texas Tech in 2027 but had the game canceled after the North Carolina State matchup was called off.

Kirby Hocutt

The athletic director of Texas Tech University.

TCU

A Big 12 football team that will now host North Texas in 2027 after Stanford canceled its game against the Horned Frogs.

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What they’re saying

“Texas Tech hopes to soon finalize new agreements with a power conference and FBS school.”

— Kirby Hocutt, Texas Tech Athletic Director

What’s next

Texas Tech will need to find replacement opponents for its 2027 schedule after the cancellations of games against North Carolina State and North Texas.

The takeaway

The ACC's scheduling changes have had a ripple effect across college football, leading to the cancellation of several nonconference matchups. Texas Tech now faces the challenge of filling two open slots on its 2027 schedule, highlighting the difficulties teams can face in maintaining their future schedules.