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Texas Tech football: Kirby Hocutt says Horned Frogs 'need help in filling their stadium'
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- Texas Tech football: Kirby Hocutt says Horned Frogs 'need help in filling their stadium'
TCU recently put single-game tickets on sale to the general public for all the Horned Frogs ' home football games this season except one. TCU will sell tickets to its Oct. 26 homecoming game against the Texas Tech football team only as part of a season-ticket or multi-game package.
That prompted Texas Tech athletics director Kirby Hocutt to playfully jab TCU AD Jeremiah Donati on social media, saying, "we can fill your stadium too if you'll let us."
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"Just trying to help TCU sell tickets," Hocutt said with a laugh this week. "Obviously, they need help in filling their stadium, and Red Raider nation would be happy to help them do it for when the Red Raiders roll in. For whatever reason, they seem to be reluctant to open up single-game sales for our game. Just trying to be a helpful Big 12 partner to them."
Hocutt made the comments this week at Big 12 media days in Las Vegas.
Asked what he thought of the strategy, Hocutt struck a more serious tone and said, "They're trying to drive revenue and interest in their program, so they make the decisions that are best for them. But if you're leaving open seats, you're leaving revenue on the table, and I know our fans would love to be there and attend a football game. If they can't sell them, we can."
See Big 12's internal review: Hocutt asked Big 12 how 'to hold officials more accountable' after Tech-TCU game
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Decision made on Texas Tech football 2027 game at North Texas
Also at Big 12 media days, Hocutt said Tech will keep its 2027 game at North Texas as scheduled after discussing with coach Joey McGuire whether they should pay a contract buyout and schedule a seventh home game instead.
"Coach McGuire and I have talked about it," Hocutt said. "North Central Texas is Red Raider country, right? We will dominate that stadium that day, so right now our intentions are to continue to honor the contract and turn Denton, Texas, into Red Raider country that day. Obviously something we'll continue to evaluate, but right now, that's our intention."
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In November, Hocutt said he wants the Red Raiders to play seven home football games every year to give Texas Tech the best chance to make the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, as well as showcasing and generating an extra game of revenue from the new south end zone building at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Tech is one home game short of seven in 2027, but with the university's large alumni base in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Hocutt said playing in Denton will serve the purpose.
"We would count that as our seventh home game," he said.
More: Texas Tech football's Behren Morton says injured shoulder back to '100 percent'
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Why did Texas Tech, Colorado State ended up canceling home-and-home series?
In February, Tech replaced a 2025 road game at Colorado State with a home game against Kent State, giving the latter a $1.5 million game guarantee. Hocutt said at the time Tech would pay Colorado State a $1 million contract buyout. The same week, CSU athletics director Joe Parker stepped down from that role.
CSU and Tech still were scheduled for a 2026 game in Lubbock, but the two sides subsequently agreed to cancel the two-game series without penalty to either side.
"It was our decision to add a seventh home game and not travel to Fort Collins," Hocutt said. "And then they went through an athletic director search, and I think as they looked at their schedule, they thought it was in their best interest to modify their non-conference schedule as well. It was really a mutual decision that ended up (waiving) all cancellation fees, obligations, so it just worked out best for both schools."
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Tech deputy AD Jonathan Botros said Tech is close to replacing Colorado State's spot on the 2026 non-conference schedule with another home opponent. He declined to identify the school.
Related: Texas Tech football adds opponent to 2025 schedule with pricey game guarantee
Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt claps during the Red Raider Club kickoff luncheon, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Kirby Hocutt offers TCU football 'help in filling their stadium'
