The No. 1 team in the country visiting Austin in Week 2. The Red River Rivalry back at the Cotton Bowl. And a closing stretch that runs through Baton Rouge and College Station. The 2026 Texas football schedule doesn’t wait to get interesting.
2026 Texas Football Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Sep 5 | Texas State Bobcats | DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX | 3:30 PM | ESPN |
| Sat, Sep 12 | Ohio State Buckeyes | DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX | 7:30 PM | ABC |
| Sat, Sep 19 | UTSA Roadrunners | DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX | 8:00 PM | SECN+ |
| Sat, Sep 26 | at Tennessee Volunteers | Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN | 12:00 PM | ABC or ESPN |
| Sat, Oct 3 | — | OFF | — | — |
| Sat, Oct 10 | vs Oklahoma Sooners | Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, TX | 3:30 PM | ABC or ESPN |
| Sat, Oct 17 | Florida Gators | DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX | 12:00–1:00 PM | TV TBA |
| Sat, Oct 24 | Ole Miss Rebels | DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX | 3:30–8:00 PM | TV TBA |
| Sat, Oct 31 | Mississippi State Bulldogs | DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX | 6:00–8:00 PM | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 7 | at Missouri Tigers | Faurot Field, Columbia, MO | 12:00–1:00 PM | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 14 | at LSU Tigers | Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA | 3:30–8:00 PM | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 21 | Arkansas Razorbacks | DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX | 3:30–4:30 PM | TV TBA |
| Fri, Nov 27 | at Texas A&M Aggies | Kyle Field, College Station, TX | 7:30 PM | ABC |
| Sat, Dec 5 | SEC Championship | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA | 4:00 PM | ABC |
Ohio State Arrives Early, and It’s Massive
Texas opens the 2026 Texas football schedule against Texas State before Ohio State visits Austin on September 12 for a Saturday night kickoff that could shape the entire national conversation before September’s even over. UTSA follows as a breather, then the Longhorns hit the road for Tennessee on September 26.
The Red River Rivalry Returns
A bye week on October 3 sets up Texas vs Ohio State 2026’s early-season shadow to fade into the background as the Red River Rivalry takes over — Texas faces Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on October 10, the annual neutral-site clash that never needs extra hype. Florida visits Austin the following week before Ole Miss and Mississippi State close out October, giving Texas back-to-back home dates heading into November.
A Brutal Closing Stretch
This is where the Texas SEC schedule 2026 turns unforgiving. A road trip to Missouri opens November, followed immediately by a trip to LSU in Baton Rouge — as tough a road environment as exists in the conference. Arkansas comes to Austin on November 21 before the regular season closes on a Friday night at Texas A&M, a rivalry renewed with real stakes attached.
The Bottom Line
Between Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, LSU, and Texas A&M, Texas faces five ranked opponents across a schedule that offers almost no soft landing after September. The Texas football home games in 2026 include the biggest non-conference test in the country, but the road trips to Baton Rouge and College Station will ultimately decide the season.
FAQ
Q: When does Texas football play its first game in 2026?
A: Texas opens the 2026 Texas football schedule at home against Texas State on Saturday, September 5, at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Q: When is Texas vs Ohio State 2026?
A: Texas vs Ohio State 2026 is set for Saturday, September 12, at home at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, with No. 1 Ohio State visiting.
Q: How many home games does Texas play in 2026?
A: Texas has seven Texas football home games in 2026 at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium: Texas State, Ohio State, UTSA, Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Arkansas.
Q: What is Texas’s toughest stretch on the 2026 schedule?
A: The closing run from Missouri (road) through LSU (road), Arkansas (home), and Texas A&M (road) — November 7 through November 27 — is the toughest part of the Texas SEC schedule 2026, alongside the September 12 home game against Ohio State.
