There's no question that the Texas Tech basketball program needs to improve the quality of its non-conference schedule as compared to the past few seasons. However, the first bit of scheduling news that has broken about the 2025-26 season doesn't help in that regard. Saturday, Jon Rothstein reported that the Red Raiders will take on LSU at Dickie's Arena in Fort Worth on December 7.
While LSU is a member of the SEC Conference, which many people think is right on par with the Big 12 when it comes to being the best league in America, the Tigers are far from being a marquee program. In fact, they enter the 2025-26 season with the program's future in doubt.
After going 9-9 in conference play in 2023-24, LSU was just 3-15 in the SEC this past season. That was part of a disappointing 14-18 overall mark.
Now, head coach Matt McMahon is likely to be coaching for his job when his team returns to the floor in November. That's not what he envisioned when taking over the program three years ago.
As for the Red Raiders, they will be expected to make more noise in the 2026 NCAA Tournament thanks to the returns of reigning Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin and rising sophomore Christian Anderson. What's more, head coach Grant McCasland has brought in a stellar transfer class to round out his roster, a talent infusion that is still far from complete.
However, to be considered a top-tier program, the Red Raiders must stop their practice of having one of the weakest non-conference schedules in the country. That's one factor that has prevented Tech from earning a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament even during the program's run of success over the past decade.
Last season, Tech's NET strength of schedule was 47th nationally. That was built on the back of the Big 12 season, though.
The Red Raiders had just the No. 296 NET strength of scheudule in non-conference play. What's more, prior to conference play, Tech faced nine Quad-3 or Quad-4 opponents. That meant that only two of Tech's non-Big 12 foes, Texas A&M and Saint Joseph's, were considered quality opponents, with A&M being the only one considered a Quad-1 team.
While that didn't hurt the Red Raiders all that much because of the strength of the Big 12 (Tech was seeded No. 3 in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament), that poor non-conference slate likely kept them from earning a No. 2 seed for the first time in the program's history.
Now, not all of the scheduling issues Tech has faced are to be placed at the Red Raiders' feet. After all, it takes two teams to tango, and given how good the Red Raiders have been at home over the past decade, many big-name programs have been unwilling to schedule a home-and-home with McCasland's program.
Thus, neutral-site contests are likely where the Red Raiders are going to have to try to beef up their non-conference slate. That's what Tech did last year when facing the No. 18 Aggies in Fort Worth.
Now, they are headed back to Cowtown at a time of the year when United Supermarkets Arena is unavailable due to fall graduation ceremonies. However, unless LSU is a huge surprise this season, this won't be a game that does much for the Red Raiders' tournament resume.