Houston's Showdown With Texas Tech Now Has A Kickoff Time and TV Channel
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The 2026 Houston Cougars football season already has high expectations. The Cougars are thought of to be Big 12 contenders and are looking to take the next step as a program after a 10-win season last year. This is supposed to be a big season for Houston to truly establish itself as one of the powers of the conference.
While the football schedule has already come out, the specific kickoff times have not been announced. It seems to be a favorable schedule for Houston to try and get to its first Big 12 championship game. The Cougars have seven Big 12 games against opponents that finished in the bottom half of the conference last season.
There are two matchups that will likely play a huge role in deciding the top of the Big 12. Those are the two massive road games against Texas Tech and Utah.
Arguably, the biggest game of the season against Texas Tech in Lubbock now has a kickoff time and TV channel. It's the first game on Houston's schedule that has been officially set up.
Houston vs Texas Tech Under The Lights
Friday Night Lights🏈
— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) May 8, 2026
We will kick off against Texas Tech at 7PM CT on FOX#GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/NmcRB53uqg
It'll be Friday Night Lights for this crucial Big 12 matchup between the two Texas rivals. The Cougars get the primetime 7 p.m. slot on FOX for the game on Sept. 18 in Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock.
This game is also Houston's Big 12 opener and its first road game of the season. This matchup will likely be the toughest game of the season for Houston, going up against the defending Big 12 champions who went 12-2 overall and 8-1 in the Big 12 in 2025.
Winning this head-to-head will be crucial for Big 12 championship chances for Houston. Last season, the Cougars lost at home to Texas Tech 35-11 in blowout fashion. Even with starting quarterback Connor Weigman, who suffered an injury before halftime, there was a clear gap in terms of level of play between the teams.
Houston had two interceptions and a fumble as Texas Tech's defense took over. It will be interesting to see what happens this time around. The Cougars would like to show they've grown since the last matchup and notch an upset win on the road.
Texas Tech is once again favored to win the Big 12, but the Cougars have a solid chance. This game could flip towards Houston if Red Raiders transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby is unable to play. He was arguably the top transfer available and is one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in college football.
Sorsby has been away from the team indefinitely in a residential treatment program for gambling. Meanwhile, Houston's quarterback room is as steady as can be. Weigman, who is now a senior, will be in his second year starting for Houston. The stability and continuity can favor Houston, who've added strong talent on both sides of the ball.
Houston will also have a second Friday game on its schedule against Colorado, with those details being confirmed at a later date. The Cougars had three Friday night games last season as well as the season opener on a Thursday.
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Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.