Who Could Be on The Texas Longhorns 2026 Schedule?

Texas had already revealed Texas State, Ohio State and UTSA as non-conference opponents, so seeing those three teams on the schedule probably isn’t a surprise for many.

Additionally, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas A&M were unveiled as protected opponents for the Longhorns on Monday, which informed fans that these teams will meet annually for at least the next four seasons.

Considering that Texas is hosting Arkansas and Texas A&M this season, it also stands to reason that they will travel to Fayetteville and College Station in 2026. In other words, we already know half of the schedule as of now:

Sept. 5 - Texas State Bobcats
Sept. 12 - Ohio State Buckeyes
Sept. 19 - UTSA Roadrunners
Oct. 10 - Oklahoma Sooners (Dallas)
Date TBA - @ Arkansas Razorbacks
Nov. 27 or 28 - @ Texas A&M Aggies

Given that the SEC is shifting to a nine-game conference schedule, this leaves six conference opponents left on the table that Texas could potentially face: Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

The Longhorns have yet to meet any of these teams since joining the SEC, which adds an additional layer of anticipation to these matchups. 

Rankings within this competitive conference can change on a dime, but seven of Texas’ 2026 conference opponents currently rank within the AP Poll’s top 25 programs. 

They’re also scheduled to take on the Buckeyes near the beginning of the season, once again, another highly ranked opponent. This year’s Week 1 matchup at Ohio State served as somewhat of a wake-up call for the Longhorns, so it will be interesting to see how this game propels each team into their 2026 efforts.

All in all, the Longhorns have a lot to look forward to in terms of next year’s slate. They have proven to be capable of holding their own in the SEC, making it to the conference title in their inaugural year.

Excitement around next season will probably depend at least somewhat on how the rest of this year’s operation goes, but for now, head coach Steve Sarkisian and this Texas team seem to be taking things one day at a time. 

They will next take the field on the road against the Florida Gators on Oct. 4, in what will serve as a conference opener and an opportunity to demonstrate how they have grown since their Week 1 matchup against Ohio State.