Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire says USC, Texas A&M and NC State all turned down scheduling requests
Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire has revealed that USC, Texas A&M and NC State all declined requests to schedule non-conference games against his team, amid a broader college football debate over strength of schedule. The issue matters because scheduling difficulty heavily influences perceptions of team quality and factors directly into the College Football Playoff selection committee's rankings, making programmes reluctant to add tough opponents unless required.
The comments come during the 2025-2026 offseason, a period dominated by discussion of which teams are avoiding tougher fixtures. Texas Tech has separately faced criticism from figures such as Cody Campbell over Texas and coach Steve Sarkisian reportedly ducking a matchup since the Longhorns left the Big 12, reflecting wider frustration among programmes like Texas Tech that say bigger schools are unwilling to schedule them.
- Joey McGuire says USC, Texas A&M, NC State refused to schedule Texas Tech
- Scheduling disputes tied to college football's strength-of-schedule debate
- Texas also accused separately of avoiding games against Texas Tech
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Larger programmes game a system where strength of schedule influences playoff selection: by avoiding mid-tier opponents like Texas Tech, they earn better rankings without competitive testing, creating perverse incentives rewarding strategic avoidance rather than genuine competition. Blue-blood schools exploit institutional power to cherry-pick weak opponents whilst dismissing capable competitors, undermining the merit-based system the sport claims to embody. Teams should earn their standing through genuine tests, not by carefully managing schedules to avoid worthy opponents.
The case against
Programme leaders have fiduciary duties to manage risk responsibly—a non-conference loss or injury carries enormous competitive and financial consequences for teams with playoff ambitions. Most larger schools already navigate demanding conference schedules; selective scheduling is pragmatic resource management. Teams have no obligation to schedule opponents primarily to serve other programmes' interests, and strategic scheduling decisions reflect rational institutional management, not unfairness.