A rumored future series between 2013 bowl opponents became officially official overnight.
Both Arizona State and Texas Tech announced Thursday night that the football programs have agreed to a future home-and-home series between the teams. The games will be played September 10, 2016, at Tempe’s Sun Devil Stadium and September 16, 2017, at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock.
“We are excited to once again bring this level of non-conference opponent to our campus and community, following the Arkansas series,” said Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt in a statement. “We have a tremendously supportive and passionate fan base in Lubbock and West Texas that will really enjoy this game.”
Monday night, the Red Raiders and Sun Devils will square off in the Holiday Bowl The two programs have met just once previously, with that coming in September of 1999. Talks on the future series began prior to the postseason game being announced, with ASU stating in its release that "[i]t is a coincidence that the two institutions will be opponents” in the Holiday Bowl.
For Sun Devils head coach Todd Graham, it’s another move made with the talent-laden recruiting fields of his home state of Texas in mind.
“I am thrilled to be able to announce a future football series with Texas Tech University,” Graham said. “Scheduling is so important to the overall success of a program and this is the type of matchup that we are seeking to fulfill our future dates. We recruit the talent-rich state of Texas and this series will assist us to widen our footprint there.”