Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium's Ranking Revealed in EA CFB 26 Toughest Places to Play

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 6:27 PM ET

The Texas Longhorns are a prime example of why home-field advantage matters, having gone 6-1 last season at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.

Fans of EA Sports College Football 26 will see just how tough it is to play at Texas when the game releases on July 10. The toughest places to play rankings were released a couple of weeks before the game's release date.

DKR Texas Memorial Stadium came in at No. 13 in the rankings.

Texas fans will also get to see the rendition of head coach Steve Sarkisian in the game. It is the first time head coaches have been in the game since 2013.

The franchise was revived last year with the release of EA Sports College Football 25. Before then, the last game in the series was NCAA Football 13, featuring former Michigan Wolverines quarterback Denard Robinson on the cover.

The standard cover for this year's game has Alabama Crimson Tide receiver Ryan Williams and Ohio State Buckeyes wideout Jeremiah Smith. The deluxe edition cover showcases fans and players from nearly every school in the game.

The only game Texas lost at home in 2024 was to the Georgia Bulldogs 30-15. The Longhorns then faced the Bulldogs again in the SEC Championship Game.

Texas lost that game 22-19 in overtime and was the No. 5 seed in the College Football Playoff. Sarkisian and company reached the semifinal of the playoff before losing to Ohio State 28-14.

Sarkisian understands the importance of playing in a stadium like Texas', bringing in multiple Lamborghinis into the venue this past weekend for recruiting visits.

Texas can avenge last season's loss in its 2025 season opener against Ohio State. Although not everyone is confident in the Longhorns' abilities.

ESPN's Joe Fortenbaugh predicted a Buckeye win in Texas' first game.

Texas and Ohio State kick off August 30 at Noon ET on Fox.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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