OU football’s season opener is being moved to Friday, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m. CT.
The Sooners were originally scheduled to play on Saturday, Sept. 5, but opted to move the game to Friday night. If OU had kept the game on Saturday, it likely would have been given an early kickoff. The school preferred to give the fans a night game, which is why it ultimately moved it to Friday. It also gives the team an extra day of preparation for Michigan in Week 2.
“Friday night games are rare for us, especially at home,” Venables said in a statement, “so the opportunity to open our season under the lights on a Friday evening on Owen Field is exciting for our team. I expect the environment to be absolutely incredible, and I know our players will feed off that electricity.”
This isn’t the first time OU has moved its season opener to a day other than Saturday. In 2019, the Sooners played Houston on Sunday of Week 1. In 2024, they played Temple on Friday night. Each of these games was moved to avoid early kickoffs.
“Moving our home opener against UTEP to Friday night presents a unique opportunity to showcase Oklahoma Football,” OU athletics director Roger Denny said in a statement. “The game will be streamed digitally, which allows us to be more intentional about selecting a date and kickoff time. Historically, early-season games in Oklahoma can present significant heat challenges, and a Friday night kickoff provides a more comfortable environment for our student-athletes, fans and game-day staff. It also allows our fans to enjoy an electric atmosphere in Norman while making the most of the remainder of Labor Day weekend. We’re excited to welcome Sooner Nation back to Owen Field for a rare Friday night game under the lights.”
The rest of the OU football schedule for the 2026 season is listed below.
Television start time windows for Weeks 4-14 are defined as follows:
Early: Noon to 1 p.m. ET start
Afternoon: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. ET start
Night: 6 to 8 p.m. ET start
Flex: Games flexed between the Afternoon (3:30-4:30 p.m. ET) and Night (6-8 p.m. ET) windows
Here is the full OU football schedule for 2026.
Sept. 4 vs UTEP: 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network+
Sept. 12 at Michigan: 11 a.m. CT on FOX
Sept. 19 vs New Mexico: 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2
Sept. 26 at Georgia: FLEX (2:30-3:30 p.m. OR 5-7 p.m. CT)
Oct. 3 vs BYE
Oct. 10 vs Texas (Dallas): 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC or ESPN
Oct. 17 vs Kentucky: FLEX (2:30-3:30 p.m. OR 5-7 p.m. CT)
Oct. 24 at Mississippi State: FLEX (2:30-3:30 p.m. OR 5-7 p.m. CT)
Oct. 31 vs South Carolina: FLEX (2:30-3:30 p.m. OR 5-7 p.m. CT)
Nov. 7 at Florida: FLEX (2:30-3:30 p.m. OR 5-7 p.m. CT)
Nov. 14 vs Ole Miss: Afternoon (between 2:30-3:30 p.m. CT)
Nov. 21 vs Texas A&M: Early (between 11 a.m.-12 p.m. CT)
Nov. 28 at Missouri: Afternoon (between 2:30-3:30 p.m. CT)
About SEC scheduling
The SEC announced in August that it would play a nine-game conference schedule starting with the 2026 season. In addition to the conference opponents, SEC teams are required to schedule at least one additional high-quality non-conference opponent from the ACC, Big Ten or Big 12 conferences or Notre Dame each season.
Under the new format:
• Each school will play three annual opponents focused on maintaining many traditional rivalries; Each team’s remaining six games will rotate among the remaining conference schools; and each team will face every other SEC program at least once every two years and every opponent home and away in four years.
The top two teams in the league standings based on winning percentage will play in the 35th SEC Football Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, Dec. 5.
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