Texas Tech will play Mississippi in the 2018 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff game.
Texas Tech and Mississippi will play in the 2018 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff game at NRG Stadium, the teams and the Texans’ Lone Star Sports and Entertainment arm announced on Friday.
The Red Raiders will be the third Texas team to play in the Labor Day weekend game, which this season features LSU and BYU on Sept. 2. Houston played in the 2016 game against Oklahoma, and Texas A&M played in 2015 against Arizona State.
Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt, who attended a news conference and luncheon on Friday to announce the matchup, said it is important for Tech to play in the Houston area as often as possible. The Red Raiders play the Cougars this season on Sept. 23 at TDECU Stadium.
“I hope we can continue what we have started,” Hocutt said. “Our series with the University of Houston does that, and so does the (2018 game). Our baseball team is here on an annual basis, so we are going to continue to look for opportunities to have games in Houston and to create opportunities.”
Ross Bjork, Mississippi’s athletic director, said in a statement: “Houston and the state of Texas have become quite the hotbed for Rebel Nation, and we know our fans will continue our stellar reputation of supporting our team and filling up NRG Stadium.”
LSU played in the 2014 game in addition to the upcoming game with BYU, and David Fletcher, president of Lone Star Sports & Entertainment, said it is important to organizers to bring in familiar programs for the opening-weekend game.
“We have shown that having great regional matchups is compelling,” Fletcher said. “LSU is not a Texas team, but strong regional brands and teams associated with the Big 12 and SEC, our partners on the bowl game, is something that the community loves, and that continues to bring great results for Houston.”
The Texas Kickoff game and the AdvoCare Texas Bowl game are both owned by ESPN Events and staged by the Texans-affiliated local group. ESPN and Lone Star have a four-year agreement through 2020 for the Labor Day weekend game at NRG Stadium.