Texas Athletics revealed that four of its home football games will be moved up a week in the upcoming two‑year schedule, a change that aligns with the NCAA’s decision to advance the start of the college football season by seven days and rebrand the former Week Zero as the official opening week.
NCAA's Schedule Adjustment
The NCAA’s FBS Oversight Committee voted to shift the season opener forward, making the new Week Zero the first week of play and effectively moving every regular‑season kickoff earlier by seven days. This adjustment was approved to give teams more preparation time and to create a clearer start to the fall slate.
Under the new timetable, Texas will host New Mexico State at DKR‑Texas Memorial Stadium on August 28, 2027, while the long‑awaited return of Michigan to Austin is slated for September 4, 2027. The home game against UTEP will now take place on September 11, 2027, and the matchup with Louisiana Tech in 2028 is set for August 26.
The Longhorns carry a perfect 3‑0 record against Michigan, highlighted by a Rose Bowl victory in 2004, and their most recent encounter in Ann Arbor on September 7, 2024, marked the second installment of a home‑and‑home series that began earlier that year.
Texas has also maintained an unblemished 5‑0 record in all meetings with New Mexico State since 1996, and the program remains undefeated in seven contests with UTEP, including a 27‑10 win in Austin last season.
The revised schedule promises fans earlier confrontations with traditional rivals and a more compact home‑field slate, while the NCAA hopes the earlier start will enhance national interest and television coverage as the sport prepares for its new opening week.