The Texas Tech football program has filled a hole on its 2026 non-conference schedule with a game against Sam Houston State.

Tech athletics director Kirby Hocutt said he received the finalized contract Friday. The 2026 non-conference schedule now has the Red Raiders opening at home Sept. 5 against Abilene Christian, playing a Sept. 12 road game at Oregon State and hosting Sam Houston State on Sept. 26.

Tech expects to have a conference game on Sept. 19, senior associate athletics director Robert Giovannetti said Monday.

Also on Monday, Tech announced a 2029 home game against Incarnate Word, which will be a Sept. 1 season opener.

Tech and Colorado State mutually agreed earlier this year to cancel a two-game series in 2025 and 2026 without penalty, initiated by Hocutt's desire to ensure the Red Raiders seven home games a year. In February, Tech reached an agreement with Kent State to play at Jones AT&T Stadium in 2025.

Because of the shorter-than-usual advance notice in scheduling the games, Tech will pay game guarantees of $1.5 million to Kent State and $1 million to Sam Houston State. Of the two dozen other non-conference games Tech has scheduled over the next decade, only one game guarantee is for more than $575,000.

"You're seeing escalation in the market," Hocutt said, "and then also there's limited teams looking for (2026) games at this point, so the small time frame obviously escalates the market."

Related: Texas Tech football: What's behind Kirby Hocutt plan for 7 home games a year?

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TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL FUTURE SCHEDULES

Note: Home games in ALL CAPS. Dollar amounts in parentheses are game guarantees that home-team athletics department contractually agrees to pay visiting-team athletics department.

2024

Aug. 31, ABILENE CHRISTIAN ($375,000)

Sept. 7, at Washington State ($500,000)

Sept. 14, NORTH TEXAS ($300,000)

2025

Aug. 30, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF ($575,000)

Sept. 6, KENT STATE ($1,500,000)

Sept. 13, OREGON STATE ($300,000)

2026

Sept. 5, ABILENE CHRISTIAN ($375,000)

Sept. 12, at Oregon State ($300,000)

Sept. 26, SAM HOUSTON STATE ($1,000,000)

2027

Sept. 4, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF ($550,000)

Sept. 11, at North Texas ($300,000)

Sept. 18, NORTH CAROLINA STATE ($300,000)

2028

Sept. 2, MISSOURI STATE ($525,000)

Sept. 9, at Mississippi State ($250,000)

Sept. 16, WYOMING ($300,000)

2029

Sept. 1, INCARNATE WORD

Sept. 8, MISSISSIPPI STATE ($250,000)

Sept. 15, at Fresno State (no game guarantee)

2030

Sept. 7, FRESNO STATE ($750,000)

Sept. 14, ARKANSAS ($300,000)

2031

Sept. 13, at Arkansas ($300,000)

2032

Sept. 4, WASHINGTON STATE ($500,000)

Sept. 11, FRESNO STATE (no game guarantee)

Sept. 18, at Texas-El Paso ($300,000)

2033

Sept. 17, at Oregon ($400,000)

2034

Sept. 9, ARIZONA ($400,000)

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football adds non-conference opponents in 2026, 2029