ESPN Reveals Kickoff Time for 2026 Lone Star Showdown

As per tradition, when the two teams are in the same conference, the Texas A&M Aggies and the Texas Longhorns will close out their regular season with a meeting on the gridiron in the 121st Lone Star Showdown.

The 2025 edition of the match took place in Austin at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Black Friday and resulted in the Longhorns securing their third straight win in the storied rivalry.

The alternating venues bring the rivalry back to College Station, where the kickoff is again set for the Friday evening after Thanksgiving.

Kickoff Set Set For Texas A&M Vs. Texas

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) keeps the ball for yardage during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

ESPN announced the kickoff games for multiple highly touted games in the 2026 season, including the Lone Star Showdown, which was slated for 6:30 on Black Friday, the exact same time and date as the 2025 edition.

Last year's contest saw the first game between the two Lone Star schools since 2010, and resulted in Texas quarterback Arch Manning showing up and showing out in the second half as the Longhorns took a 27-17 win in front of the home crowd.

Texas A&M put up a 10-3 lead at halftime behind a rushing touchdown courtesy of KC Concepcion and a Jared Zirkel field goal, but the Longhorns would outscore the Aggies 24-7 in the second half with a touchdown from Manning to Ryan Wingo and ended with a 35-yard run by Manning into the end zone.

Marcel Reed tried to keep the Aggies in the contest but threw back-to-back interceptions in the closing moments and for the second straight year, the Aggies' ticket to the SEC Championship game was ripped up by their biggest rivals.

And last time the Aggies welcomed their friends from Austin to College Station in 2024, it was a 17-7 win in favor of the Longhorns where the Aggies' only points came from a 93-yard pick-six by cornerback Will Lee III.

The Aggies do have some catching up to do in the all-time series with the Longhorns, currently down 78-37-5 in the rivalry's history, and only three times in the 21st century.

With both teams expected to enter the 2026 season ranked high in the AP Top 25, there is a possibility that this edition could be the first in over 50 years where both teams are ranked in the top five, should the stars align for both Mike Elko and Steve Sarkisian's squads.

Texas A&M and Texas will kick off from Kyle Field on November 27.

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