The head coach at Texas Tech has responded to criticism about his team’s schedule with a bold financial proposal aimed at Texas coach Steve Sarkisian.
Coach Joey Maguire announced that Texas Tech has already secured agreements from Texas State and Abilene Christian to accept buyout payments and face each other instead of their currently scheduled Week 1 opponents. This would clear the way for Texas Tech and Texas to meet in the season opener, either at AT&T Stadium or in Lubbock, Texas.
“We would love to play the University of Texas in Week 1,” Maguire stated Thursday during the Big 12 Conference spring meetings.
The Red Raiders captured the conference title with a 12-1 record last season and advanced to the College Football Playoff, where they fell to Oregon in the quarterfinal round after receiving a first-round bye.
Sarkisian sparked controversy when he commented that “there’s a team in our state that plays in another conference that has a schedule that I would argue if I played with our twos and our threes, we could go undefeated, and they’ll probably make the CFP this year.”
Texas Tech chairman of the Board of Regents Cody Campbell backed up the proposal Thursday on social media, confirming the university’s willingness to cover buyout costs for both the Abilene Christian and Texas State matchups. He directly addressed Sarkisian and Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte in his post.
“Upping the ante: @TechAthletics will pay the buyout for both the ACU and Texas State games. Let’s go!!! @CoachSark @_delconte,” Campbell wrote.
Maguire initially doubted that Sarkisian’s remarks were directed at his program, but after considering the details, he decided to issue the challenge.
“I said there’s no way they’re talking about us because Sark’s a pretty tough guy,” Maguire explained. “I would think if he was talking about us, he’d call us out.”
“… They can come to Lubbock Week 1, and we can figure out if their 2’s and 3’s can win this conference,” he added.
