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.