Oklahoma Football Home Opener Moved To Friday Night Against UTEP
- mike33692
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Oklahoma Football Home Opener Moved To Friday Night Against UTEP
Sooner Nation will kick off the 2026 football season a day earlier than expected. The Oklahoma football home opener against UTEP has officially been moved to Friday, Sept. 4, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. CT at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman.
University officials say the scheduling change creates a better experience for players and fans by avoiding the extreme daytime heat often experienced during early September games in Oklahoma.
The game will be streamed exclusively on SEC Network+, marking one of the few Friday night home games in modern Oklahoma football history.
Oklahoma Football Home Opener Moves Under The Friday Night Lights
The Oklahoma football home opener was jointly announced Monday by University of Oklahoma Vice President and Director of Athletics Roger Denny and Head Coach Brent Venables.
Instead of its originally scheduled Saturday kickoff, the Sooners will now open the season against UTEP on Friday, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m. Central Time.
According to Denny, moving the game to Friday allows the university to provide a more comfortable environment for student-athletes, fans, and game-day staff while giving supporters the opportunity to enjoy the remainder of the Labor Day weekend.
The contest will stream digitally on SEC Network+.
Additional schedule information is available through the Oklahoma Sooners Athletics.
Friday Games Have Been Rare For Oklahoma Football
The Oklahoma football home opener will become one of the program's rare Friday night contests.
The Sooners' only other Friday night regular-season home game came in 2024, when Oklahoma defeated Temple 51-3 under the lights in Norman.
Overall, Oklahoma owns a 61-21-2 record in games played on Fridays, although that total includes bowl games and College Football Playoff appearances. Since World War II, the Sooners have played just 17 regular-season Friday games, posting an 11-6 record.
Many of those contests came against longtime rival Nebraska, while other Friday victories included games against Miami, Tulsa, West Virginia, TCU, and Temple.
Head Coach Brent Venables said Friday night home games are uncommon for the program and expects the atmosphere inside Owen Field to provide a major boost for his team.
Additional team information is available through the Southeastern Conference.
Sooners Look To Extend Home Opener Winning Streak
The 2026 season will mark Brent Venables' fifth year leading the Sooners.
Oklahoma enters the opener having won 20 consecutive home-opening games, one of the nation's longest active streaks.
University officials believe the combination of a Friday night kickoff, cooler evening temperatures, and a holiday weekend will create one of the most energetic opening-night atmospheres in recent years.
Fans planning to attend are encouraged to monitor official university channels for ticketing, parking, and game-day information as the season approaches.
Additional game-day updates are available through the University of Oklahoma Athletics Gameday Information.
With a rare Friday night kickoff and a chance to extend the program's impressive home-opening winning streak, the Oklahoma football home opener is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated starts to a Sooners season in years.
Comments