Sooners Friday Kickoff
Oklahoma Moves 2026 Season Opener Against UTEP to Friday Night
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Key Points
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This will be the sixth all-time meeting between Oklahoma and UTEP. Oklahoma is 5-0 in the series, with four wins coming in Norman and the lone road victory coming in 2012 (24-7).
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The Friday-night home opener is Oklahoma’s second in the current SEC era (and the program’s second Friday regular-season home game in three seasons), following the 2024 opener against Temple that OU won 51-3.
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Oklahoma’s Friday-night history is extensive: 17 regular-season Friday games since World War II with an 11-6 record in those games, and Nebraska has been the opponent in 10 of them, accounting for most of the losses in Friday games.
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Oklahoma has won 20 straight home openers dating back to the Bob Stoops era, underscoring a long-running success trend for season openers at Owen Field.
Oklahoma's 2026 season opener against UTEP is moving to Friday, Sept. 4, with a 7 p.m. kickoff at Owen Field, Oklahoma Sooners Official announced on June 29. The game will stream on SEC Network+ instead of airing on traditional linear TV. Athletic director Roger Denny called it "a unique opportunity to showcase Oklahoma Football" under the lights on a holiday weekend.
The Sooners enter the game with a 5-0 all-time record against UTEP and a 20-game home-opener winning streak dating back to the Bob Stoops era, according to SI. Oklahoma is also 61-21-2 all-time in Friday games — a .738 winning percentage.
Heat, Comfort and Holiday Weekend Drive the Decision
Norman, Oklahoma, routinely faces triple-digit temperatures in early September. Moving the kickoff to 7 p.m. on a Friday directly addresses that problem. Denny said the timing "provides a more comfortable environment for our student-athletes, fans and game-day staff," according to NewsOn6.
Head coach Brent Venables added that the night setting brings something extra. "The opportunity to open our season under the lights on a Friday evening is exciting for our team," he said. "I know our players will feed off that electricity." The Labor Day weekend timing also lets fans stay in the Oklahoma City and Norman area for the full three-day holiday rather than rushing home after a Saturday game, The Oklahoman noted.
SEC Network+ Streaming Gave Oklahoma the Scheduling Freedom
Because the game airs on SEC Network+ — a digital-only platform — Oklahoma had unusual freedom to pick its date and time. On a typical Saturday, the game would compete with dozens of other matchups on linear TV. By moving to Friday, the Sooners avoid getting buried, KOCO reported.
The shift also gives Oklahoma a strategic edge for Week 2. Playing Friday instead of Saturday adds roughly 24 extra hours of rest before the team travels to Ann Arbor to face Michigan. Five of Oklahoma's nine conference games already fall in the SEC's "Flex Window" — a 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET time block — giving the program several more primetime opportunities throughout the season, according to SI.
Oklahoma's Long and Winning Friday-Night Track Record
Friday games are not new for the Sooners. Oklahoma has played 17 regular-season Friday games since World War II, going 11-6 in those contests. Nebraska is the most frequent Friday opponent, appearing in roughly 10 of those 17 matchups — and accounting for most of OU's losses on that day, The Oklahoman reported.
The most recent Friday home game came in 2024, when Oklahoma beat Temple 51-3 in a game that drew strong reviews from fans for its atmosphere. That game served as a test case for the format now being applied to the UTEP opener, El Paso Times noted. Oklahoma's overall 61-21-2 Friday record makes the calendar choice feel less like a gamble and more like a proven strategy.
The UTEP Series and What's at Stake in 2026
Friday's game will be the sixth all-time meeting between Oklahoma and UTEP. The Sooners have won all five previous matchups. Four of those wins came in Norman. The lone road game was a 24-7 Oklahoma victory in El Paso in 2012, according to El Paso Times.
Beyond the opener, the 2026 season is one of the hardest in program history. Oklahoma faces road trips to Michigan, Georgia, Mississippi State and Florida — venues where the Sooners have never played before. The program is also in its third year as a full SEC member and expects a revenue distribution of roughly $72 million in 2026, a massive jump from $2.6 million in its transitional 2025 share, SI reported.
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