Sep 6, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian leads players on to the field before the game against the San Jose State Spartans at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns' 3 SEC Annual Protected Opponents Revealed

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Aaron Raley | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 11:14 AM ET

Late last month, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey announced some changes to the conference's college football slate going forward.

These changes included upping the conference schedules from eight games to nine, and that every team in the conference will have three opponents that they are guaranteed to face every season. The remaining six games on the schedule would be rotated with the remaining 12 teams.

Monday morning saw the first official announcement of those protected opponents, as On3's Chris Low announced the three teams for each opponent, who they will face every year for at least the next four seasons.

And for the Texas Longhorns' opponents, there shouldn't be any surprises as to who their trio of games are against.

The Longhorns will play Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas A&M Each Year

In the announcement posted on the X page, the Longhorns' slate included the Oklahoma Sooners, Arkansas Razorbacks, and the Texas A&M Aggies, three notable rivalries all staying alive for the Burnt Orange over the next four years.

Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The rivalry between the Longhorns and the Arkansas Razorbacks dates all the way back to the first game between the two teams in 1894, which saw the Horns blow by the Pigs in a 54-0 blowout, and Arkansas didn't even score points against Texas until their fifth meeting in 1907, and didn't get a win in the rivalry until their 15th matchup in 1933, a 20-6 win in the Texas state capital.

The Longhorns lead the all-time record with a comfortable 57-23, and the two teams will square for the second time as SEC opponents in their penultimate regular season games on November 22 at DKR.

The Red River Rivalry between Texas and the Oklahoma Sooners is one of college football's most notable rivalries, going back to 1900 which saw the Horns victorious 28-2 in Austin, and the two teams have been facing off at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas for the Golden Hat Trophy every year since 1929, with the Longhorns also leading the rivalry with a 64-51-5 record.

The Lone Star Showdown between the Longhorns and the Texas A&M Aggies is another one of college football's finest and has been in production since 1894.

The Longhorns have run away with the record in the rivalry with A&M, with 77 wins and only 37 losses and five ties in the 130-year history of the game.

The Longhorns were victorious in the renewal of the rivalry after 13 years last year at Kyle Field and will welcome the Maroon and White to DKR for the first time since 2010 on Friday, November 28.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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