In the wake of the Brendan Sorsby ruling on Monday, Nebraska AD Troy Dannen was one of the first people in any way associated with the NCAA to take a stand. Dannen ordered his entire athletic department to essentially boycott scheduling Texas Tech in any sport if the Red Raiders continue to insist that Sorsby will play in 2026, despite the NCAA trying to suspend him for the entire campaign.
The move, while certainly driven in part by PR considerations, since the Huskers were almost certainly not planning on scheduling Tech in the near future, was also the right one. If the NCAA’s hands are tied in punishing Sorsby and Texas Tech, Nebraska and other schools have to take things into their own hands. Georgia soon followed suit, and there are reports that the SEC and Big Ten, as entire conferences, have signaled they might do the same. Interestingly enough, if the conferences follow through, is the twist here that they’re doing the Red Raiders a favor?
Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire talks a big game about scheduling Power 4 teams. But the words don’t match the actions at the moment. The Lubbock, Texas-based school’s schedule is considered one of the easiest in the country. Certainly one of the easiest among teams considered contenders for the College Football Playoff.
McGuire’s squad gets to avoid BYU, the other CFP contender in the Big 12, and its conference schedule had a combined 56-57 record in 2025. That schedule includes a Cincinnati squad that went just 7-6 despite Sorsby leading that team. The school’s non-conference schedule is even worse. The defending Big 12 champion plays Abilene Christian (9-5 in FCS), Oregon State (2-10), and Sam Houston State (2-10)
Re: potential Texas Tech athletics boycotts, don't believe Tech has a B1G or SEC FB game scheduled until Arkansas (30, 31, 34) and Oregon (33). Only other future sport contracts I have in my database are home WBB games next season against Charlotte and North Florida.
— Matt Brown (@MattBrownEP) June 9, 2026
Nebraska football boycott could give Texas Tech cover for weak future schedules
Oregon State had one win against FBS teams last year (10-7 against Washington State). One of Sam Houston’s two wins was against Oregon State. Their other win was against a new FBS team, Delaware.
As of now, Tech’s 2027 non-con schedule is Arkansas Pine-Bluff and New Mexico. The Lobos had a very good 2025, but there’s no guarantee they’ve become a G5 power beyond last fall, and they're one of the most moribund programs in FBS history.
With all the talk that Texas Tech wants tougher schedules without showing it, Nebraska announcing they’re out of the running might be helping McGuire’s team. The Red Raiders can now claim their hands are tied, and they have to keep scheduling the weakest schedules in the country.
Nebraska really finds itself between a rock and a hard place in this situation. Boycotting Texas Tech is the right call. It’s the moral call. Even if the Huskers likely weren’t scheduling them anytime soon anyway. Closing the door on that takes the Red Raiders' potential claim that Nebraska is “scared” of them off the table, at the very least.
In the long run, however, Tech might get what it's always wanted. Especially if the SEC and Big Ten follow Nebraska and Georgia’s lead and announce a scheduling boycott.
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