Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire wants Texas coach Steve Sarkisian to answer for his comments in a Lone Star state showdown.

Despite both the Red Raiders and Longhorns having Week 1 games already scheduled for the 2026 season, McGuire wants both teams to buy out their contests against their current opponents and play each other instead.

McGuire said he has already spoken to both Abilene Christian University — which Texas Tech plays Week 1 — and Texas State, which the Longhorns are slated to open the season against.

“We’re willing to buy our contract out of ACU,” McGuire told reporters at the Big 12 spring meetings on Thursday, according to a CBS Sports report on Wednesday. “I’m sure because Texas has got a lot of money, they can buy their contract out, but I do know there’s a lot of Red Raiders that could help them buy that contract out if they don’t want to, and they can come to Lubbock in Week 1 and figure out if their twos and threes can win this conference.

“I do know that (mega booster) Cody Campbell reached out to Stephen Jones, so if they don’t want to come to Lubbock, then we’re going to work on trying to get to AT&T Stadium. So if they want to play Week 1, we’re ready. We would love to play the University of Texas.”

McGuire’s showdown request comes after Sarkisian made some backhanded comments toward the Big 12’s schedule compared to the Longhorns.

“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,” Sarkisian said. 

McGuire did add that although Sarkisian could have been referring to TCU, Houston, or Baylor, it was likely that his comments could have been targeted toward Texas Tech.

“There’s no way they’re talking us because Sark’s a pretty tough guy, his teams are really tough, and I would think that if he was talking about us, he would call us out, right?” McGuire added. “Like he wouldn’t just say this kind of comment of, well, there’s another team in our state.

“Well, I guess he was talking about us.”

While at the Big 12 spring meetings, McGuire also told reporters he is proud of quarterback Brendan Sorsby for getting help with his gambling addiction.

McGuire added that Texas Tech will support Sorsby despite the NCAA initially denying a petition seeking his reinstatement.

“We’re here to support Brendan. I do believe that he made a mistake, and whenever that happens, I do believe there should be consequences,” McGuire said. “But it’s my opinion that he shouldn’t be penalized for the rest of this year, or his career.”

Sorsby was ultimately ruled ineligible after admitting to betting on college sports, including his own team, while he was a freshman at Indiana.

The 22-year-old recently completed an inpatient gambling addiction treatment program, which he entered last month.

He has since filed a lawsuit in Lubbock County, Texas to allow him to play for the Red Raiders next season.

A hearing in that case is set for Monday.