DALLAS — One of the biggest rivalry games in all of college football officially has its national television details locked in.
The Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners will renew the legendary Red River Rivalry on Saturday, October 10, 2026, with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC from the historic Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
And while the matchup will not take place in a traditional nighttime prime-time window, it will still receive one of the most prominent national broadcast slots of the college football weekend.
The SEC confirmed the ABC assignment in its latest television schedule update, setting the stage for another massive chapter in a rivalry that rarely needs additional hype.
For Texas, the showdown represents another opportunity to demonstrate why the Longhorns have become one of the most closely watched programs in the country.
For Oklahoma, it represents something entirely different: an opportunity to change the direction of its season with one enormous rivalry victory.
And when these two programs meet in Dallas, records rarely tell the complete story.
The Red River Rivalry is different.
The Cotton Bowl is divided almost perfectly down the middle — burnt orange on one side, crimson on the other.
The State Fair of Texas surrounds the stadium.
Every tackle feels louder.
Every turnover feels more important.
And every touchdown has the potential to become part of rivalry history.
That atmosphere will return on October 10.
Texas enters the matchup carrying significant expectations under head coach Steve Sarkisian, with quarterback Arch Manning once again occupying the center of attention.
The Longhorns have already demonstrated their ability to perform under enormous pressure this season, including a dramatic 24–23 victory over Ohio State.
Now comes another challenge.
Oklahoma may have endured a difficult opening stretch, but rivalry games have a habit of ignoring conventional expectations.
The Sooners will arrive in Dallas knowing one afternoon can transform the entire conversation surrounding their season.
And there may be no better opportunity to make that statement than against Texas.
Oklahoma’s defense will face the enormous challenge of containing Manning and a Longhorns offense filled with playmakers, including receiver Ryan Wingo and running back Hollywood Smothers.
Texas, meanwhile, knows that allowing Oklahoma to settle into the game could quickly turn the Cotton Bowl into chaos.
Momentum changes rapidly in this rivalry.
One interception can change everything.
One explosive touchdown can ignite half the stadium.
One special-teams mistake can become the moment fans remember for decades.
Recent history only adds another layer.
Texas has won the last two meetings, defeating Oklahoma 34–3 in 2024 before earning a 23–6 victory in 2025. Oklahoma’s most recent victory in the rivalry came in 2023, when the Sooners escaped with a dramatic 34–30 win.
That means Oklahoma enters the 2026 meeting attempting to end a two-game losing streak against its greatest rival.
Texas will be trying to extend it.
But beyond rankings, records and recent results, this game remains one of the defining spectacles of the college football calendar.
There is no traditional home-field advantage.
There is no ordinary stadium atmosphere.
There is simply Texas on one side, Oklahoma on the other, and more than a century of rivalry history separating them.
The television details are now official:
📅 Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
⏰ Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. CT
🏟️ Venue: Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas
📺 National TV: ABC
🏈 Matchup: Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners
🔥 Rivalry: Allstate Red River Rivalry
For Texas, it is another opportunity to strengthen its position on the national stage.
For Oklahoma, it is an opportunity to shock its biggest rival and create a season-defining moment.
For the fans?
Clear the afternoon.
Because when burnt orange meets crimson inside the Cotton Bowl, almost anything can happen.
Texas. Oklahoma. The Cotton Bowl. National television.
On October 10, one of college football’s fiercest rivalries takes center stage once again — and another unforgettable chapter of the Red River Rivalry is waiting to be written.
