2026 Schedule Watch: Red River Kickoff Set for 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC or ESPN
The first wave of 2026 college football TV windows clarified part of Texas’ national schedule in May. The June 10 schedule-window release answered the Red River question: the 2026 Texas-Oklahoma game is now listed for 2:30 p.m. CT at the Cotton Bowl, with television assigned to ABC or ESPN.
That means the most important planning variable for fans is no longer TBA. The final single-network designation can still change from “ABC or ESPN” to one channel closer to game week, but the afternoon kickoff window is now confirmed across official and independent schedule sources.
What Is Confirmed for Red River 2026
The core facts now stand as follows:
- Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
- Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. CT
- TV: ABC or ESPN
- Venue: Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas
- Fair window: State Fair of Texas runs September 25 through October 18, 2026
- Conference context: Texas and Oklahoma meet as SEC opponents
That is a meaningful update from the May 20 status, when the date and venue were confirmed but kickoff and TV remained unannounced.
Why the 2:30 p.m. Window Matters
For fans, a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff changes the day shape. It leaves a real State Fair window in the morning, pushes stadium entry toward early afternoon, and puts sun exposure back into the seating-plan conversation.
For the teams and television partners, the afternoon ABC/ESPN window keeps Red River in a national showcase slot. Texas already had high-profile ABC windows on the 2026 schedule, while Oklahoma’s nonconference schedule includes national-brand inventory of its own. A mid-afternoon Red River window keeps the rivalry central to the October SEC viewing map without requiring a night game at Fair Park.
2025 Context Still Matters
Texas won the 2025 Red River Rivalry 23-6, then finished 10-3 and No. 12 in the final AP poll. Oklahoma also finished 10-3, reached the College Football Playoff first round, and closed No. 13 in the final AP poll.
That gives the 2026 matchup a clean national hook: two top-15 finishers, both in the SEC, both with playoff-level expectations, meeting at a neutral site during the State Fair.
Source check
This update was checked against multiple sources:
The next meaningful TV update will be the final single-network assignment. Until then, October 10, 2:30 p.m. CT, and ABC or ESPN are the verified planning facts.
