A Closer Look: Houston Football 2025 Schedule

HOUSTON – On Tuesday morning, the University of Houston, alongside the Big 12 Conference, unveiled football game dates for the 2025 season. This season, the conference will celebrate its 30^th season and feature a slate in which all 16 programs will play nine league games.

Here is a closer look at Houston Football's 2025 slate:

Houston's season opener against Stephen F. Austin, which has been bumped up to Thursday, Aug. 28, will be the earliest opener in its 80 seasons of existence. It marks the 10th time in its history Houston has opened its season in the month of August (1991, '96, '97, '02, '03, '08, '13, '14, '24 and '25).
Houston faces five opponents from the state of Texas – the second most in the last 13 seasons (7 in 2023).
Houston closes its season with back-to-back matchups against in-state opponents, hosting TCU on Nov. 22 before visiting Baylor on Nov. 29. It marks the first time the Cougars have played an in-state opponent in consecutive weeks to close the regular season since hosting UTEP and visiting Rice in 2008.
The Cougars alternate home and away matchups during the 2025 season, marking the first time in 80 seasons of football this has occurred.
There are no first-time opponents on Houston's schedule. The Cougars will face four opponents for the first time in 30+ years including Stephen F. Austin (last meeting: 1948), Oregon State (1970), Colorado (1971) and Arizona State (1990).
Houston's matchup against Texas Tech (Oct. 4) will mark the sixth meeting between the two opponents in the last nine seasons but will be the first on the campus of the University of Houston since Sept. 23, 2017.
Houston's approximately 1,800-mile flight to Corvallis, Ore., for the Cougars' Sept. 27 matchup at Oregon State will mark the farthest travel for the program since Dec. 24, 2017, when Houston faced Fresno State in the Hawai'i Bowl from Honolulu, Hawai'i (approx. 3,900 flight miles).
The Cougars will play out of state four times during the 2025 season. Houston will also compete in four different time zones (Pacific, Mountain, Central and Eastern) – its most since playing in as many time zones during the 2017 season (Mountain, Central, Eastern and Hawai'ian).
Houston's matchup at Oklahoma State on Oct. 11 marks the Cougars first visit to Stillwater, Okla., since Sept. 12, 2009, when the Cougars stunned #5 Oklahoma State, 45-35, while earning their first Top 5 road victory since the 1984 season.
Houston's Sept. 6 matchup at Rice will be the 47th all-time between the two opponents dating to 1971. Houston and Texas Tech meet for the 36th time since 1951 and Houston and Baylor are meeting for the 31st time since 1950.

ABOUT the COUGARS
Houston Football returns 77 student-athletes and welcomes 30 mid-year enrollees during its second spring under Head Coach Willie Fritz. The Cougars coaching staff also features a pair of new faces courtesy of the Southeastern Conference in Offensive Coordinator Slade Nagle (LSU) and Defensive Coordinator Austin Armstrong (Florida).

Houston's 30 newcomers include 21 transfer portal additions and nine freshman early enrollees. The group includes 15 defensive players, 14 offensive players and one specialist.

Among Houston's returners, 29 appeared in 10+ games a season ago. Thirteen returners made six-or-more starts including five who started all 12 games in defensive back Latrell McCutchin Sr., defensive back A.J. Haulcy, defensive back Kentrell Webb, offensive lineman Demetrius Hunter and defensive lineman Carlos Allen Jr. (12).

SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Football by placing your 2025 season ticket deposit, supporting LinkingCoogs – UH's very own NIL collective and by joining 46ers and The Huddle which provides financial support directly to Houston Football for needs beyond its operating budget.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarFB on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at Houston Cougar Football. Fans can also follow the team on Instagram at uhcougarfb.

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Carlos Allen Jr.

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