It's a very exciting season in Lubbock with high expectations for Texas Tech basketball. The Red Raiders' revamped roster provides massive expectations for this team as they attempt to return to the Final Four for the first time since 2019.

It’s the first official home game of the season, so expect a high-energy atmosphere at the United Supermarkets Arena as Red Raider fans pack the student section and the arena to kick off the new campaign under head coach Grant McCasland.

Coach McCasland will likely use this game at the year's start to test rotation depth by integrating crucial transfers and new players with returning core members.

They don't face the most formidable first test, however, as Jackson State profiles as a less-than-premier first matchup. It will, however, be helpful to get a better sense of how this team will look this season and what rotation Grant McCasland opts to run in live action. Here's everything fans will need to know to catch the first action of Texas Tech's 2026-2027 season.

Game Details

• Date: Monday, November 2, 2026
• Time: 6:00 PM CT
• Venue: United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, TX
• TV Channel: CBS Sports Network

The Red Raiders will tip off the season Monday, November 2nd, live from United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas, against the Jackson State Tigers in their first matchup of the season.

To catch all the action, the live broadcast will be available on CBS Sports Network. If you want to stream the game online or via a live TV streaming service, sources such as YouTube TV, Fubo, and CBS Sports Watch Live offer a broadcast of the contest.

What To Look For in the Action

Jackson State isn't the best or most talented team that UCLA will face on their schedule this season, which makes it difficult to pick out an exact matchup that will give any of the Red Raiders a real test.

What is worth looking out for, however, is the rotation that Grant McCasland opts to use and the roles that each player has while JT Toppin and Jamichael Stillwell are still absent from the frontcourt. Bassala Bagayoko will likely get the start at center to begin the season, with some help from reserves Josiah Moseley, among others.

Bagayoko played well in the exhibition match against Kentucky, and Moseley had a fantastic effort in the rebounding battle, as he managed to come down with double-digit rebounds. With two of the most crucial pieces on this Texas Tech roster currently sidelined, the Red Raiders will need players to step up in the frontcourt if they want to reach their potential this season.

The college basketball season has almost arrived, and with it come huge expectations out in Lubbock. The Red Raiders have the talent to make a splash in the Big 12 this year, and the road to Detroit begins soon.

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