Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Announces 2001 Gridiron Schedule
February 14, 2001 | Football
Feb. 14, 2001
LUBBOCK, Texas - On the heels of its eighth-consecutive bowl-eligible season, the 2001 Texas Tech football team will take on one of its most challenging schedules in years as the Red Raiders face four teams that finished among the nation's top 12 last season.
Defending National Champion Oklahoma highlights the 2001 home schedule. The Red Raiders and Sooners will meet in the season finale for Tech on Nov. 17 at Jones SBC Stadium.
In addition to Oklahoma, the Red Raiders will host three other Big 12 teams after opening the season with New Mexico on Sept. 8. The Red Raiders host the state of Kansas on back-to-back weekends in early October. Kansas visits Lubbock on Oct. 6 and Tech faces Kansas State on Oct. 13. The Red Raiders continue their rivalry with Texas A&M in Lubbock on Nov. 3.
"We are looking forward to next season," Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach said. "Our biggest consideration with regard to scheduling is what is the best situation financially and what is best for our program. We have done that by putting together one of the most challenging schedules in the country."
Texas Tech opens the road portion of the schedule in El Paso on Sept. 15, where the Red Raiders and Miners meet in the Sun Bowl for the first time since 1963. Tech travels to Dallas the following weekend to face North Texas on Sept. 22 at Texas Stadium.
"We are looking forward to playing UTEP and North Texas next season," Texas Tech Director of Athletics Gerald Myers said. "The UTEP game is a win-win situation for both schools and we're excited to be renewing the game.
"We also are excited about playing at Texas Stadium against North Texas," Myers added. "We have an outstanding alumni base in Dallas and we are looking forward to taking Texas Tech football to them."
The Red Raiders open Big 12 Conference play at Texas on Sept. 29. Games at Nebraska (Oct. 20), Baylor (Oct. 27) and Oklahoma State (Nov. 10) also dot the Big 12 road slate.
In addition to Oklahoma's No. 1 ranking at the conclusion of last season, four other Red Raider opponents were either ranked or received votes in the final polls. Nebraska closed the 2000 season ranked seventh followed by Kansas State in the No. 8 spot and Texas ranked No. 12. Texas A&M received votes in the season's final polls.
