Mandatory Credit: Photo by Eric Gay/AP/Shutterstock (13363492ar) Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen during the first half of an NCAA college football game against UTSA, in San Antonio Houston UTSA Football, San Antonio, United States – 03 Sep 2022
Houston Cougars football inaugural Big 12 schedule unveiled: taking a look at the matchups
The Houston Cougars football team’s inaugural Big 12 conference schedule has been revealed, and UH is set to face every state opponent in the conference.
Houston will open its Big 12 schedule at home on Sept. 16 when it hosts the College Football Semifinalist Texas Christian Horned Frogs. The Cougars’ next conference game will be on the road two weeks later against a familiar opponent, Texas Tech, on Sept. 30.
UH will have a bye week on Oct. 7. It will host West Virginia, where current Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen was prior to joining the Cougars, on Oct. 14.
Without a doubt, the biggest game of the year will be on Oct. 21 when the Houston Cougars football team hosts the Texas Longhorns at TDECU Stadium. It will be the first meeting between the two programs since Sept. 21, 2002. Houston will be looking to defeat Texas for the first time since Nov. 9, 1991.
The Cougars travel to Kansas State on the road on Oct. 28. Houston plays its final intrastate opponent on Nov. 4 against Baylor. Both programs were supposed to meet during the 2020 season, but the game was canceled less than 24 hours before the slated kickoff time due to COVID-19 issues within the Bears program.
Houston will host current American Athletic Conference turned Big 12 foe Cincinnati on Nov. 11. The Cougars and Bearcats last met in 2021 during the AAC Championship game that saw UC come out victorious. Houston’s final home game of the season will be on Nov. 18 against Oklahoma State.
The Cougars end the season on the road on Nov. 25 against another current AAC turned Big 12 rival in Central Florida. Houston will not play Kansas, BYU, Iowa State or Oklahoma in its first year in the Big 12 regular season.
Houston’s nonconference slate in 2023 begins with the season opener at home against UTSA on Sept. 2. The Cougars will then play at Rice the following week on Sept. 9. UH’s final nonconference game will be on Sept. 23 against Sam Houston State, which is sandwiched between the TCU and Texas Tech matchups.
