October starts with a breath, then gets busy. Texas is off on October 3 after a 4–0 September. The Longhorns return against Oklahoma in Dallas on October 10, then play Florida, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State on three consecutive Saturdays in Austin. For anyone following the team or planning a trip, that is the month in one sentence: a neutral-site rivalry followed by three home games.
The dates and venues are set on the Texas Athletics schedule. Oklahoma is listed for 2:30 p.m. Central with ABC or ESPN as the broadcast options. Florida has an early window, Ole Miss has a flex window, and Mississippi State has a night window. Those windows are helpful for planning, but they are not final kickoff times.
October 3: an open date between road and rivalry
Texas does not play on Saturday, October 3. Its last September game was the 20–17 road win at Tennessee, a physical SEC opener that went down to the final possession. The next game is the Red River Rivalry. That gap places the open date at a useful point in the calendar: after four games, before a neutral-site matchup that occupies its own weekend in Dallas.
An open date is a scheduling fact, not a guarantee of better play the following week. What fans can do with it is simple: check travel plans, confirm where they will watch Oklahoma, and revisit any kickoff or TV changes once the network assignment is final.
October 10: Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl
The Texas–Oklahoma game is scheduled for Saturday, October 10, at 2:30 p.m. CT at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. It is a neutral-site SEC game, so the normal home-game routine in Austin does not apply. The official schedule lists the TV selection as ABC or ESPN, rather than naming one final network.
The setting makes this the outlier among Texas's October games. Fans headed to Dallas should use the Cotton Bowl venue and local event information for arrival and entry details, while television viewers should check the final network assignment during game week. The result will be Texas's second SEC game after its win at Tennessee.
October 17: Florida comes to Austin
Texas hosts Florida at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, October 17. The official listing gives an early start window of 11 a.m. to noon Central. That is a range, not a confirmed 11 a.m. or noon kickoff. The TV network is also not final in the current schedule data.
For an Austin home weekend, the practical difference between an early start and a later kickoff is substantial. Fans planning parking, travel, or a meeting point should wait for the exact announcement before locking a tight itinerary. On the field, this begins a stretch of three consecutive Texas home games.
October 24: Ole Miss in a flex window
Ole Miss visits Austin on Saturday, October 24. Texas Athletics labels this a flex start, meaning the game can fall in an afternoon or night window. No exact kickoff time or final TV channel is listed yet.
A flex window can be frustrating if you want to buy a train or plane ticket around a same-day return. Treat the date and stadium as firm for now, but give the rest of the day room until the final designation arrives. It is also the middle game of the three-game home sequence, between Florida and Mississippi State.
October 31: Mississippi State at night
Texas closes the month against Mississippi State on Saturday, October 31, at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. The official schedule lists a night window of 5 to 7 p.m. CT. The exact kickoff within that range remains unannounced, and the final TV network is still to be confirmed.
Because October 31 is the last home game of this three-week run, it also marks the transition into a November schedule that begins with road games at Missouri and LSU. A night window tells you the broad shape of the day in Austin, but it does not justify publishing a specific kickoff hour yet.
The month at a glance
There are four Texas games in October after the open date: Oklahoma on October 10 in Dallas, then Florida on October 17, Ole Miss on October 24, and Mississippi State on October 31 in Austin. All four are SEC games. Only the Oklahoma contest has an exact kickoff time in the current official listing.
Texas enters the month 4–0 overall and 1–0 in the SEC. That record is context, not a forecast. The month will tell us how the Longhorns handle a rivalry away from home, an early-window game, a flex-window game, and a scheduled night window across four straight weekends.
What fans should check before each Saturday
Use the full schedule for dates, opponents, venues, and updated results. Then check Texas Athletics and the announced broadcaster during game week for exact times and final TV details. The phrase “early window” does not mean 11 a.m. is locked; “night window” does not mean 7 p.m. is locked.
If you only remember one distinction, make it this one: October 10 has a listed 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff, while the following three Saturdays still have windows. We will update the October guide when official information fills those gaps.
Sources and update note
Published and last checked September 27, 2026. Final scores and schedule windows were checked against Texas Athletics. Exact kickoff times and TV networks can change when new announcements are made.
Frequently asked questions
Who does Texas play in October 2026?
Texas plays Oklahoma on October 10, Florida on October 17, Ole Miss on October 24, and Mississippi State on October 31. October 3 is an open date.
When is Texas vs Oklahoma in 2026?
The Red River Rivalry is scheduled for October 10 at 2:30 p.m. CT at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. The listed TV options are ABC or ESPN.
Are the Florida, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State kickoff times confirmed?
No. Florida has an early window, Ole Miss a flex window, and Mississippi State a night window. Exact kickoff times and final networks remain to be announced.
How many October home games does Texas have?
Texas has three October home games at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium: Florida, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State. Oklahoma is a neutral-site game in Dallas.
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