Over the past two weeks, the Avalanche Journal has reported that Texas Tech football and other schools are teaming up with Oregon State and Oregon State to keep alive the Civil War rivalry, a series between the two schools that are less than 50 miles apart. I’ve been following the story of how we’re working together. It dates back to 1894.
The Oregon vs. Oregon State game has long been a conference game. With Oregon State leaving the Pac-12 Conference for the Big Ten next season, the Ducks are still open to playing the Beavers every year in a non-conference game, but they need help to make that happen next season. .
Enter Texas Tech, Washington State, and Boise State, and you can adjust your schedule to make things run smoothly. If this happens — and Texas Tech athletics director Kirby Horcutt said schools are working toward it but it’s not final — the Red Raiders will be next season on Sept. 7. Sunday’s road game will be played at Washington State instead of Oregon State.
Hocutt said Tech has a $400,000 game guarantee if he plays at Oregon State and a $500,000 game guarantee if he plays at Washington State, making the net increase $100,000.
Washington State will come to Lubbock in 2032 to complete a two-game home-and-home series, but Tech’s road game at Oregon State will be postponed to 2033.
This has sparked quite a debate among Tech fans, so here’s a Q&A session dedicated to it.
Q: Two weeks after saying, “No more road games with no upside,” Kirby was bought out for the full $100,000 to schedule “road games with no upside.” Great job, technician.
DW: Please reread the story. Hocutt didn’t exactly say, “Let’s stop playing road games with no upside.” He said Tech will schedule seven home games each year as Tech’s $2.5 billion stadium project gets underway for next season. Tech already has seven home games scheduled next season.
Washington State is not a winless road game. Cougars players were Power Five players this year. Just because the Power Five conferences have disbanded around them doesn’t mean the 60 or so returnees will be any less talented next year. WSU defeated bowl strong Wisconsin and Oregon State this season.
Joey McGuire also weighed in on the discussion. If he objects, the Red Raiders will not play in Pullman next year.
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Q: What was the contract buyout that Oregon State did? [have] Do I have to pay if the technician refuses?
DW: If Tech had said no to postponing the Ducks game, Oregon State would have hosted the Red Raiders next season on September 7th as scheduled. The contract provides for a $1 million buyout for either team that wishes to be removed from the game. No one said Oregon State would do that.
Q: Kirby should have tried to schedule a home game once it became possible that Oregon State would be removed from the schedule. I don’t mind playing WSU, but play Lubbock. Going to Pullman is boring. Kirby fails.
DW: Again, Tech wants to play seven home games. The company doesn’t want the first road game of the season to be a Big 12 game. And Tech will have a home game against Washington State University removed from its contract in 2032. With the collapse of the Pac-12, WSU has an urgent need to host home games next season.
Q: Getting an extra $100,000 is garbage. Another million dollars would have been worth it.
DW: It wasn’t on the table.
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Q: Don, I may not have thought about this, but what does it mean to play a small market team from a moribund conference versus a B1G team that is a very big brand for $100,000? Is it? I’m surprised the donors aren’t rioting.
DW: I think it’s a good discussion, so I’ll answer this from a bigger and longer perspective here. Tech, which is in the Big 12 weakened by the departures of Oklahoma State and Texas, is seeking a power conference matchup to give the Red Raiders a chance to improve their standing in the national conversation, polls, recruiting and more. I think you’ll need more partners. upon. We saw Florida State University correctly eliminated from the College Football Playoff because its resume didn’t match up with the four participating teams.
It’s true that the CFP will expand to 12 teams next year, but does anyone really want to rank outside the top 10 and still compete as conference champions? Wouldn’t you like to beat a top-15 or so team early on and then continue to build your case?
Hocutt said if Tech buys out the 2025 road game at Colorado State, he would consider a home game against a Group 5-level team instead.
I want to aim higher.
Every time Tech plays Oregon or another big-name program, it’s a chance to get noticed, win, get your name in the conversation and improve your stock. That’s why Tech continues to chase Texas to keep the series alive.
Again, the status of this 2024 schedule discussion likely supersedes any considerations this time.