University of Houston Athletics
Houston Adds Two Future Non-Conference Series
5/24/2018 3:09:00 PM | Football
Houston to face Utah in 2026 and 2027, and Rice in 2022 and 2023
HOUSTON – The University of Houston Department of Athletics announced future non-conference Football series with Utah and Rice on Thursday.
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Houston will kick off its series against Pac-12 foe Utah with its 2026 season opener, hosting the Utes at TDECU Stadium on Sept. 5, 2026. UH will make a return trip to Salt Lake City on Sept. 11, 2027.
The two teams have previously met four times with Houston owning a 4-0 record in the series, the last meeting a 42-25 Houston win on Sept. 23, 1978.
In addition to the Utah series, Houston and Rice have added two games to their longtime crosstown rivalry with a Sept. 24, 2022, game at Houston and a Sept. 9, 2023, game at Rice.
The two games are in addition to three previously announced games - this year's season opener on Sept. 1 at Rice, Sept. 5, 2020 at Houston and Sept. 11, 2021 at Rice.
The two Houston institutions have met 41 times with Houston owning a 30-11 record, including a 38-3 home win in 2017.
In addition to the two series, Houston added a fourth game to its UTSA series with a Aug. 30, 2025, game in Houston following two games in San Antonio (Sept. 3, 2022 & Aug. 31, 2024) and another game in Houston (Sept. 2, 2023).
With the two Rice games added, the 2022 and 2023 Houston non-conference schedules are complete with the Cougars hosting Kansas and Rice in 2022 while traveling to UTSA and Texas Tech. In 2023, UH hosts BYU and UTSA while traveling to Kansas and Rice.
