Coach Fritz leads the team huddle after practice, Tuesday, July 29, 2025, in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
The new Houston Football schedule for 2026 was released, but how does this schedule compare to last year’s schedule, and what can we expect from the newly recruited transfers and freshmen in the program?
Last year’s schedule looks similar at first, with most Big 12 opponents returning from last year’s schedule, like Texas Tech, UCF and Colorado. However, the in-state rival Rice University will not be returning as the Cougars and Owls mutually agreed not to face each other in the Battle for the Bayou Bucket game due to conference realignments and scheduling conflicts for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
Instead, Houston will play against the Georgia Southern Eagles, which will be the fourth game of the season on Sept. 26. Houston has also replaced their first game of the season against a conference opponent instead of an out-of-conference team, as they move away from the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks and instead go on to face Southern University at home on Sept. 12 in their second game of the season.
As for Big 12 opponents, Houston has removed the TCU Horned Frogs, Arizona State Sun Devils and the Arizona Wildcats from the schedule and replaced them with the Kansas State Wildcats, Utah Utes and the Cincinnati Bearcats. This shift in conference play could signal harder opponents in the future, as Utah was ranked for multiple weeks throughout the 2025 season, with Cincinnati and Kansas State gaining more momentum and solid recruits from their 2026 draft class.
What to expect for next season
The new season brings promise for the Cougars, as Houston will have rematches against former college football playoff teams like Texas Tech and newly acquired opponents such as Utah University and Kansas State.
Coming off a Bowl game win against LSU, Houston looks to be firing on all cylinders this offseason as the newly recruited football class of 2026 brings a promising future to Houston football.
Newly recruited freshmen such as 5-Star Keisean Henderson, 4-Stars Paris Melvin Jr. and John Hebert, newfound transfers such as defensive lineman Ashton Porter from Oregon and wide receivers Muizz Tounkara from Florida and Tyson Turner from Texas Tech, bring new expectations and hope for Houston Cougar football fans.
sports@thedailycougar.com
