Texas Tech-Houston set for Friday night

The Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Houston Cougars will play each other in football on September 18 at 7 p.m. CT, according to the Big 12 Conference and their broadcast partner FOX. This is the first official start time for the 2026 season.

It will be held in Lubbock on Friday night in Week 3. The game is part of FOX's expanded Friday Night College Football package. There are currently three Big 12 home games on the schedule. In Week 2, Kansas will host Missouri, in Week 3, Texas Tech will host Houston, and in Week 13, Utah will host West Virginia.

The news comes after the conference changed the schedule on April 10, moving Texas Tech's game against Houston from Monday, September 7, to Friday, September 18. For football fans, the Red Raiders changed the date of their last game of the season against the TCU Horned Frogs to November 26, Thanksgiving Day. Officials from the conference said the changes were made as part of a plan with FOX and ESPN to arrange nine games that weren't on Saturday.

The Texas Tech-Houston game could get national attention because several media sites ranked both teams in the early top 25. Texas Tech comes into the game with a winning streak in the series—they've won six straight games and 11 of the last 12 overall. Last season, they defeated Houston 49–28 on the road.

Friday's news is the first time that kickoff times and TV listings for Texas Tech's future games have been made public. Later this month, the Big 12 and its television partners will likely share more information about the first three weeks of games. The team will decide the rest of the schedule on a rolling 12- or six-day basis.

The game on September 18 and all home games will have ticket sales staged. Starting May 13, members of the Red Raider Club will be able to get in early. Starting May 18, anyone can buy a single-game pass.

There are priority times in the phased plan for major donors, season ticket holders, and student members before general sales start.