UPDATE: Details about the Texas Tech football schedule for 2024

The Texas Tech football schedule for 2024 has been finalized, but the south endzone and Womble Football Center are still under construction. The Big 12 announced the entire slate on Tuesday morning, sparking a great deal of conjecture and expectation. Let’s analyze Tech’s 2024 schedule using three main points.

Looking at the schedule from top to bottom, the order of Tech’s home games is what instantly stands out. In the first five weeks of the season, the Red Raiders play four home games, including the non-conference home opener versus Abilene Christian. Tech will host Arizona State and Cincinnati following their last non-conference match against North Texas.

Even though the Bearcats will be playing their senior year against the Sun Devils in the Big 12, this will be their first meeting with the Red Raiders in a while. The only previous meeting between Tech and Cincinnati was a tie in 1968. It’s the first meeting between Arizona State and other teams in seven years.

Unquestionably, Joey McGuire’s Red Raiders have performed better at home. If they can win the one non-conference game on the road, Tech may get out to a fast start in 2024.

2. Bye week(s?) and their timing

In 2024, each club will have two bye weeks, which is a new addition to the calendar. Tech will benefit from two well-timed bye weeks, especially in light of the upcoming matchups. October 12 and November 14 will be the Red Raiders’ two bye weeks.

The Bears and Cowboys have the same bye week with Tech; the first is one week before Baylor visits town, while the second is before a trip to Stillwater.

These theoretically cancel one other out, thus neither team in those two competitions will have an advantage over the other in terms of preparation.

Conversely, the Red Raiders’ next two opponents in November are Colorado and Iowa State, who are both coming off bye weeks. From Tech’s point of view, that is where things could become complicated, but if you only consider the Red Raiders’ bye weeks, this was a victory.

3. No mid-week matches

While I have never been one to criticize midweek games, this schedule is ideal for the many folks who are. When the 2023 slate was revealed and Tech was slated to play TCU on a Thursday night, there was a lot of outrage a year ago.

Ultimately, the Frogs’ journey to West Texas proved to be one of the Red Raiders’ best games of the previous season, as Tech won three straight games and regained the Saddle Trophy.

Even though the game was enjoyable and the desired result was achieved, everyone involved finds the practicalities of the whole situation to be somewhat difficult to work around. Given the midweek situations that several other conference teams are facing, Tech supporters need to feel even more fortunate. This season, a number of games are still pending on a day or day of the week across the league. In 2024, the Red Raiders have managed to prevent this.