Texas Tech football: What's behind Kirby Hocutt plan for 7 home games a year?
Since the NCAA Division I board of directors decided to allow major-college football teams to play 12 regular-season games starting in 2006, Texas Tech football teams have played seven home games in a season only three times: in 2008, 2009 and 2022.
So Texas Tech's intention to play seven home games every year, as the Avalanche-Journal reported this week, represents a shift in philosophy.
Several factors are behind the decision.
"I'd say there are many benefits," Texas Tech athletics director Kirby Hocutt said, "but most importantly just getting to play in Lubbock in front of our sold-out crowds. With our current stadium investment of approximately $250 million, we're going to look to each and every home football game, and just the advantage you provide your team from playing at home rather than playing on the road is the most important benefit. That leads us to looking at our non-conference philosophy and contracts as we go forward."
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Tech is committed enough to the seven-home-games tenet to take action immediately. Hocutt said Tech probably will pay a $1 million contract buyout rather than play a scheduled 2025 game at Colorado State. He will look to replace the Rams with another group-of-five conference team willing to travel.
"We'd probably be looking for a Mountain West caliber of opponent to come in and play in Lubbock for that seventh home game," Hocutt said. "The American, Mountain West, Sun Belt, MAC."
Tech has long valued playing games in the Dallas-Fort Worth area because of its large alumni base in the Metroplex, but Hocutt said he and Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire also will discuss whether they want to buy out or negotiate an alternative to a scheduled 2027 game at North Texas.
More Texas Tech football home games to help pay for Jones AT&T Stadium facilities project
Texas Tech is in the midst of a two-year construction project that includes a four-level south end zone building at Jones AT&T Stadium with the adjoining two-level Dustin R. Womble Football Center that will serve as the team's day-to-day headquarters. Those facilities, as well as a new visitors' locker room at the northeast corner of the stadium, are targeted for completion before the 2024 season opener.
Tech senior associate athletics director Robert Giovannetti said last week the total projected cost is $242 million.
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Private gifts and pledges for the project have topped $100 million, Tech officials said recently. The south end zone building also will help pay for itself via revenue generated from a field-level club, loge boxes and 17 premium suites.
The more home games the Red Raiders play, the more chances to generate revenue.
"That's definitely a consideration in this as well," Hocutt said. "The income generated from seven home games compared to six is definitely a considering factor."
In a December 2022 interview, Tech senior associate athletics director Jonathan Botros said when the project is complete Tech will buy the property from the Red Raider Facilities Foundation for the amount owed on the construction loan. Botros said cash flow from the new stadium building, as well as interest earned on gifts and general athletics operating revenue, will be components of paying back long-term bonds.
Texas Tech football to offer quantity of home games to partially offset losing quality of departing Big 12 opponents Texas and Oklahoma
The gross revenue from Red Raiders home games in 2021, Botros said, averaged $3.8 million. That ranged from about $2.5 million to $3 million for home games against non-power-five conference teams to more than $4 million for a marquee opponent.
Two of Tech's marquee opponents last left the building in 2022 when the Red Raiders beat Texas and Oklahoma. Those two programs aren't coming back with UT and OU starting play next season as Southeastern Conference members.
Texas has played every other year in Lubbock since 1962. During that time, according to Tech records, only the SMU game in 1968 and the Nebraska game in 1996 topped the Texas game as the hottest ticket within a particular season. (Tech's games against Oklahoma State and Texas in 2010 and its games against Oklahoma and Texas in 2018 had identical season highs for tickets sold.)
If Tech can't replace the quality of opponent that Texas and Oklahoma represented, it can add to the quantity of home games.
"Absolutely it is a part of our thinking," Hocutt said, "and it helps our football team. It brings opportunities for us to continue to engage with our season-ticket holders, Red Raider Club members. It's a benefit to all the businesses of Lubbock, Texas, as well.
"And so all those things are important, but most important is the advantage it gives your football team by staying in town, not having to travel that week and homefield advantage that comes from playing in the Jones."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football: What's behind Kirby Hocutt plan for more home games?
