The 2025 season was what many Houston Cougars fans envisioned when the program first received an invitation to the Big 12 Conference in September 2021. The Cougars debuted in the league in 2023 and after a 2-year acclimation period, they made it clear that they are ready to compete.
In the second year under head coach Willie Fritz, Houston posted a 10-3 season, sweetened by a Texas Bowl victory over LSU in front of a red-clad home crowd. The Cougars were rewarded for their efforts with a No. 22 ranking in the final AP Poll, checking in as the fourth-highest-ranked Big 12 team, as they concluded a season with a number next to their name for the first time since 2021.
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Now the page turns to the year 2026 and the momentum is palpable. Fritz enters his third year at the helm. Starting quarterback Conner Weigman returns. First-team All-Big 12 wide receiver Amare Thomas is back in the fold. Other starters, including Alvin Ebosele, McKenzie Agnello, Brandon Mack, Khalil Laufau and Sione Fotu, have committed to running back, and the Cougars added several notable transfers, including running back Makhi Hughes and star guard Shadre Hurst.
On Wednesday, Houston learned the path it needs to take to take that extra step and qualify for the Big 12 Championship Game. Its full schedule was revealed, along with the rest of the Big 12, and here’s what Fritz and the Cougars must conquer in 2026:
|
Week |
Date |
Adversary |
Event |
Result 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Saturday September 5 |
vs. State of Oregon* |
TDECU Stadium – Houston, TX |
Wednesday, 27-24 |
|
2 |
Saturday September 12 |
vs. South (FCS)* |
TDECU Stadium – Houston, TX |
N/A |
|
3 |
Saturday September 19 |
at Texas Tech |
Jones AT&T Stadium – Lubbock, TX |
L, 34-10 |
|
4 |
Saturday September 26 |
in southern Georgia* |
Paulson Stadium – Statesboro, Georgia |
N/A |
|
5 |
Saturday October 3 |
vs. UCF |
TDECU Stadium – Houston, TX |
Wednesday, 30-27 |
|
6 |
Saturday October 10 |
in the state of Kansas |
Bill Snyder Family Soccer Stadium – Manhattan, KS |
N/A |
|
7 |
Saturday October 17 |
vs. Oklahoma State |
TDECU Stadium – Houston, TX |
Mi, 39-17 |
|
8 |
Saturday October 24 |
in Utah |
Rice-Eccles Stadium – Salt Lake City, UT |
N/A |
|
9 |
Saturday, October 31 |
BYE |
||
|
10 |
Saturday November 7 |
vs. Cincinnati |
TDECU Stadium – Houston, TX |
N/A |
|
11 |
Saturday November 14 |
in colorado |
Folsom Field – Boulder, CO |
My, 36-20 |
|
12 |
Saturday, November 21 |
in West Virginia |
Milan Puskar Stadium – Morgantown, WV |
N/A |
|
13 |
Saturday November 28 |
vs. Baylor |
TDECU Stadium – Houston, TX |
Wednesday, 31-24 |
|
14 |
Friday, December 4 |
Big 12 Championship Game |
AT&T Stadium – Arlington, Texas |
Notes and curiosities
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The Big 12 Championship Game will be moved to Friday night for the first time. ET on ABC from its usual location at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX on December 4. Since the Big 12 relaunched its title game in 2017, it has occupied the 12 p.m. ET window on ABC every year. There has been a growing trend for conference championships to be moved to Friday nights. Conference USA has occupied Friday night since 2020. The American and Mountain West joined in 2024. The Sun Belt also moved to Friday night in 2025. Unless any of those championships move back to Saturday, there will be five title games on Friday, December 4, 2026.
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All of Houston’s games are currently scheduled for Saturday, but the Big 12 will move select games to Friday night in the coming weeks. In 2025, Houston played three games on Fridays (vs. Colorado, at Oregon State, vs. UCF). In 2024, Houston played two games on Fridays (at TCU in Arizona). In 2023, Houston did not play any games on Fridays, but hosted West Virginia on Thursday night.
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Houston’s home venue since 2014, TDECU Stadium, is expected to be renamed Space City Financial Stadium for the 2026 season, although there is no official date scheduled for the name change.
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Houston finished 5-1 against its 2026 opponents in 2025 with wins over Oregon State, UCF, Oklahoma State, Colorado and Baylor and a lone loss to Texas Tech. Kansas State, Utah, Cincinnati and West Virginia are conference opponents the Cougars missed in 2025, but played in 2024 and will meet again in 2026.
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The six Big 12 opponents missing from Houston’s 2026 schedule include Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Iowa State, Kansas and TCU. This is the first time Houston has avoided TCU on the schedule since joining the Big 12.
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There are three road trips that Houston will take for the first time as a member of the Big 12: Utah on October 24, Colorado on November 14 and West Virginia on November 21. Houston last played in Salt Lake City in 1977. The Cougars have never visited Boulder or Morgantown.
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Houston hosts UCF for the first time since both teams joined the Big 12. The Knights last visited TDECU Stadium in 2020 for an AFC matchup. The other three Big 12 teams the Cougars host (Oklahoma State, Cincinnati and Baylor) visited in 2023, 2023 and 2024, respectively.
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Houston plays in three different time zones for three consecutive weeks in November. Central time home games against Cincinnati (Nov. 7) and Baylor (Nov. 28) sandwich a road game at Mountain Time in Colorado (Nov. 14) and an ET road game at West Virginia (Nov. 21).
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This is the first time Houston’s non-conference schedule has excluded Rice since 2020 (although a game was originally planned but canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Since 1999, the only times the Cougars did not play rival Bayou Bucket were in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2019. There are no contests scheduled in the future.
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The only FBS opponent Houston has never played on the 2026 schedule is Georgia Southern. Big 12 and Sun Belt opponents will meet in Statesboro on September 26.