Three Takeaways From Oklahoma’s 2026 Schedule Release

Oklahoma’s complete 2026 schedule was revealed on Thursday night.

Opponents for the next four years are known for the Sooners, but the official dates for all of the Sooners’ contests were announced on the SEC Network.

OU will host UTEP, New Mexico, Kentucky, South Carolina, Ole Miss and Texas A&M next year while taking road trips to Michigan, Georgia, Mississippi State, Florida and Missouri along with the Sooners’ yearly trip to Dallas to take on Texas.

Here are three takeaways from the 2026 schedule release.

Oklahoma Sooners — Oklahoma's 2026 football schedule | Sooners On SI

New Kids on the Block

In 2025, Brent Venables faced a bunch of new quarterbacks.

This year, he’ll square off against a number of first-year coaching staffs.

OU’s massive non-conference tilt with Michigan will be the first big game for whoever the Wolverines hire in the wake of this week’s shocking Sherrone Moore revelations.

Oklahoma Sooners, Brent Venable — Former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore won't be on the sideline when the Sooners visit The Big House for the first time in 2026. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Three of Oklahoma’s nine SEC contests will include new coaching staffs as well.

Mark Stoops won’t make the trip to Norman with Kentucky, as the Wildcats will arrive in Norman on Oct. 17 with former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein in charge.

Oklahoma’s trip to The Swamp will come on Nov. 7 after former Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall has had a few months to get his team going.

Venables and his staff will take on a head coach in his first year with a new program in four of OU’s 10 contests against Power 4 competition, and that number could theoretically rise to five if Michigan poaches a coach currently on the Sooners’ schedule.

October Looks Manageable

The 2025 October stretch looked daunting on paper last July.

South Carolina taking a major step back on its 2024 achievements helped ease the slate a bit for the Sooners, however.

It would be a shock if OU has to run any kind of gauntlet in October 2026.

Both the Sooners and the Longhorns open the month with their only bye week leading into the Red River Rivalry on Oct. 10.

Following the clash with Texas, the Sooners will host Kentucky on Oct. 17, reunite with Jeff Lebby to take on Mississippi State in Starkville on Oct. 24, then return home to host South Carolina on Oct. 31.

Texas finished 6-2 in SEC play this year.

The rest of OU’s October slate combined to go 4-20 in conference play in 2025.

Additionally, the Sooners won’t spend back-to-back weeks on the road at any point in 2026.

Fast Start

In its first five games, Oklahoma will play road contests in The Big House at Michigan and between the hedges against Georgia, as well as clashing with Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

There have been stretches of OU history with higher-ranked matchups stacked on top of each other (like Red October), as far as environment and overall talent of the roster in recruiting, it’s hard to find a stretch as difficult.

In 1973, the Sooners played USC, Miami and Texas in back-to-back-to-back weeks, but after traveling to the Mecca to take on USC, OU hosted the Hurricanes in Norman.

This year, the Sooners had to take on a playoff-caliber Ole Miss and make road trips to Tennessee and Alabama, but the contest against the Rebels was in Norman.

Oklahoma wanted to move to the SEC for many reasons, including loading up the schedule with better games than what the Big 12 offered.

Three seasons in, and the SEC is delivering on that vision for Oklahoma.