Ou Football: Oklahoma hosts UTEP in the 2026 season opener
The key ou football event is Oklahoma’s 2026 season opener against UTEP on Friday, Sept. 4. The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, and available reporting lists streaming access rather than a traditional broadcast channel. USA TODAY
Oklahoma hosts UTEP in the 2026 season opener
Oklahoma and UTEP are set to meet at 8 p.m. ET Friday in Norman. USA TODAY lists ESPN+ and SEC Network+ as the streaming options, while Fubo describes the game as available through SEC Plus and its service, with regional restrictions potentially applying. USA TODAY Fubo
The reports do not identify a conventional over-the-air or cable channel for the matchup. USA TODAY says the game will be available only through streaming, with SEC Network+ access tied to a participating TV-provider connection and ESPN+ requiring a subscription. USA TODAY
What the teams bring into the matchup
Oklahoma finished the 2025 season 10-3, went 6-2 in the SEC and reached the College Football Playoff as the eighth seed, according to a USA TODAY Sports report published through mycentraljersey.com. The Sooners then lost 34-24 to Alabama in the first round. mycentraljersey.com
Senior quarterback John Mateer returns after throwing for 2,885 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2025, but the reports differ in how they frame his previous season. One account says he played through a thumb injury for much of the campaign and that Oklahoma’s offense struggled, while another lists his rushing production as 431 yards and eight touchdowns. USA TODAY Fubo
The Sooners are also expected to lean on a defense that ranked 15th nationally last season, according to Fubo. That report identifies defensive lineman David Stone, who had 42 tackles and 1.5 sacks as a freshman, and Taylor Wein, who led Oklahoma with seven sacks, as returning contributors. Fubo
UTEP went 2-10 in 2025. The Miners enter their first season in the Mountain West after finishing 11th in Conference USA, and quarterback EJ Colson Jr., a transfer from UCF, is set to lead the offense, according to mycentraljersey.com. mycentraljersey.com
The schedule after Friday night
The opener is Oklahoma’s first reported test before a road game at Michigan in Week 2. USA TODAY describes the UTEP matchup as the Sooners’ lone game before that demanding nonconference meeting. USA TODAY
As of the available reporting, Oklahoma-UTEP remains a scheduled game; those reports do not provide a final score or postgame result.