Texas Longhorns alter 2025 football schedule, create bye week before SEC play begins
Texas athletic direct Chris Del Conte has announced a change to the Texas Longhorns 2025 football schedule. The Horns have switched the date of the Sam Houston game from Sept. 27 to Sept. 20. Del Conte announced the change in his “Forty Acres Insider” newsletter.
Moving the meeting against the Bearkats up a week will give Texas a bye before it begins SEC conference play for the upcoming season. Texas’ non-conference schedule includes a trip to Ohio State (Aug. 30) and home games against San Jose State (Sept. 6), UTEP (Sept. 13) and Sam Houston. The Longhorns will open their SEC schedule at Florida on Oct. 4.
The open week before the game at the Swamp will give Texas coach Steve Sarkisian an extra week to get the team ready for the rigors of conference play. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian prefers to finish all non-conference games before league play begins. UT and Mississippi State are the only SEC teams that will open the 2025 season with four consecutive non-conference games.
The Texas Longhorns have made a significant adjustment to their 2025 football schedule, introducing a bye week before their SEC play begins. The change is part of a broader shift as Texas prepares for its transition from the Big 12 to the Southeastern Conference (SEC), scheduled to officially begin in 2024. The revised scheduling strategy aims to better position the Longhorns for the challenges of competing in one of the most competitive conferences in college football.
In the previous schedule, Texas had a more compressed slate leading into the start of SEC play. The decision to insert a bye week now provides the team with a crucial opportunity for rest, recovery, and additional preparation before facing the intense competition that the SEC is known for. This move also offers a chance for head coach Steve Sarkisian and his coaching staff to evaluate the team’s progress in the first few weeks of the season and make necessary adjustments.
The bye week falls after the Longhorns’ non-conference games and before their SEC opener, which is expected to be a highly anticipated matchup. By adding this break, Texas hopes to improve player health and ensure they are mentally and physically prepared for the grueling demands of SEC football. This scheduling alteration reflects the evolving nature of college football and the increasing importance of strategic planning to manage the rigorous schedules that come with conference realignments.
With the 2025 season marking Texas’ first full year in the SEC, the bye week will play a key role in setting the tone for the team’s ability to compete at the highest level. Fans are eager to see how this strategic change will impact the Longhorns’ performance as they begin their new chapter in college football.
