Last October, a never-before-seen atmosphere was observed at North Texas. For a Friday night contest against a ranked South Florida squad, a record 31,386 spectators flocked into DATCU Stadium to make Denton, TX the capital of the college football universe for one night.
A similar atmosphere was potentially on the horizon in 2027 as reigning Big 12 champion Texas Tech was slated to pay a visit to DATCU Stadium for a showdown with the Mean Green. However, 17 months in advance, that highly-anticipated
moment was axed before it saw the light of day.
Texas Tech bought its way out of the scheduling contract, therefore canceling its 2027 trip to North Texas, as first reported by Brett Vito of the Denton-Record Chronicle. The Red Raiders cited the rationale of this decision was to maintain six home games on its 2027 schedule. Texas Tech previously had a home contest vs. NC State on its 2027 slate, but due to the ACC’s recent shift to a 9-game conference schedule, the Wolfpack bought their way out of a home-and-home contract, thus canceling their upcoming trip to Lubbock. The NC State cancelation, combined with the Red Raiders’ decision to back out of Denton, leaves two unfilled vacancies on Texas Tech’s 2027 non-conference schedule.
Meanwhile, North Texas immediately satisfied its vacancy with another Big 12 foe from the Lone Star State. The Mean Green replaced Texas Tech with a battle vs. TCU. The Horned Frogs also saw a recent opening on their 2027 schedule, as Stanford canceled its non-conference game in Fort Worth — another casualty of the ACC’s move to a 9-game conference schedule.
However, instead of DATCU Stadium, the meeting between the nearby opponents will transpire at the TCU stadium — Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth. The Sept. 11, 2027 matchup will mark the first showdown between North Texas and TCU since 2002 and the 19th all-time. TCU leads the series 16-2 and has won four-straight contests dating back to 1987.
Deprived of a signature home game against a 2025 College Football Playoff participant, there is disappointment shared among the Mean Green faithful. North Texas athletic director Jared Mosley released a statement on the matter:
“We recently received notification from Texas Tech that they must cancel the 2027 home football game at DATCU Stadium due to ongoing scheduling shifts across college football. We fully understand how conference requirements and the evolving landscape can impact even long-standing agreements. As a result, we are excited to announce a contest at TCU in week two of the 2027 season as the replacement. While the loss of a previously scheduled home game is disappointing, this opportunity ensures our fans a great opportunity to watch the Mean Green compete close to home. We remain committed to scheduling competitive, marquee opponents, both at home and on the road, that elevate our brand and create meaningful experiences for our student-athletes and fans. Additional details on UNT Athletics tickets for the TCU contest will be announced soon.”
North Texas’ 2027 non-conference schedule now consists of home games vs. FCS Tarleton State and Wyoming, as well as road trips to TCU and San Jose State.
