The concert will be part of the annual homecoming celebration that includes the parade and the football game against Arizona State.
Two of the most influential rock and roll bands of the 1990s will headline Texas Tech University’s 2026 Homecoming concert on Oct. 16.
Four-time Grammy Award nominees Goo Goo Dolls and Texas-based rockers Bowling for Soup will perform for faculty, staff, students and alumni at the homecoming concert the night before the No. 12 Red Raiders face Arizona State at Galaxy Stadium.
“This year’s homecoming lineup features two incredibly talented bands whose popularity only continues to grow as the years go by,” said Blayne Beal, senior executive director of campus events. “The Goo Goo Dolls are one of the great rock bands of all time, and they continue to find their way onto the Billboard charts. Bowling for Soup is probably one of the most fun and entertaining concert experiences on tour today We are thrilled to have both these great bands on campus for homecoming for what will be an exciting start to a fun weekend at Texas Tech.”
Formed in Buffalo, New York, in the mid-1980s, the Goo Goo Dolls achieved mainstream success with the 1993 release of their fourth album, “A Boy Named Goo,” which went on to earn double-platinum status.
The 1995 release of the single, “Name,” became the band’s first major hit, reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. They followed that up with hit singles “Iris” in 1998, which topped the charts, and “Slide” in 1999, which peaked at No. 9.
In all the band has recorded seven singles that have reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, including three top 10s, have sold 15 million records worldwide and earned four Grammy Award nominations.
Bowling for Soup formed in 1994 just up the road in Wichita Falls influenced by both 1980s hair metal and punk rock. The band relocated to Denton in 1996. They finally found success in 2002 with the band’s second album, “Drunk Enough to Dance,” which featured the Grammy Award-nominated single, “Girls All the Bad Guys Want.”
In 2004, Bowling for Soup released the album “A Hangover You Don’t Deserve” and the hit single, “ 1985,” which reached No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. Two other singles, “Almost” and “Ohio,” both charted on the U.S. Pop 100. The album became the band’s only Top 40 album. The band’s 2006 release “High School Never Ends” off the album “The Great Burrito Extortion Case” peaked at No. 97 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Bowling for Soup also is known for performing the theme song for the Disney Channel animated series “Phineas and Ferb.”
The traditional Homecoming parade begins at 6 p.m. Oct. 16. It will travel from the First Baptist Church parking lot down Broadway onto campus and end at the United Supermarkets Arena. The pep rally begins at 7:30 p.m. at the main concert stage in Urbanovsky Park, just east of the arena. The bonfire and concert will follow immediately after, allowing attendees to participate in all events without changing locations.
Alumni, students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend. Gates for the concert will open at 6 p.m. The concert is free, and free parking will be available west of the arena. Food trucks will be on site, and a clear-bag policy will be in effect.