The two sides have announced that they’ll face off in a Thanksgiving Day matchup during the 2026 NCAA football season, pitting the two Big 12 teams against each other on prime time in Lubbock on a national ESPN broadcast. It will be the lone college football game played on Thanksgiving.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26. For the Red Raiders-Cowboys and Horned Frogs-Cowboys crossover fans, never fear: the Cowboys vs. Eagles Thanksgiving game (set for 3:30 p.m.) should be wrapped up by then.
It’ll be the first Tech-TCU matchup since 2024, a thrilling 35-34 affair that went to the Frogs. TCU rallied from a 17-point halftime deficit in that matchup, scoring the game-winning touchdown/extra point on an 85-yard pass from Josh Hoover to Eric McAlister.
Texas Tech leads the all-time series between the two, but it’s close: the Red Raiders have an all-time record of 33-31-3 against TCU.
Both teams currently have a mystery at the quarterback position. Tech transfer Brendan Sorsby’s eligibility is in question while he seeks treatment for a gambling addiction. Hoover transferred to Indiana, where he’ll attempt to fill the very large shoes of Fernando Mendoza. Jaden Craig, who spent his last three seasons at Harvard before transferring to Fort Worth, is the early projected starter for TCU.
The matchup will also feature two of the highest-profile coaches in the conference, Tech’s Joey McGuire and TCU’s Sonny Dykes.
Additional game times and television designations for the 2026 college football season will be announced later this month.