This week, the SEC dropped its official schedules for the 2026 conference slate. Though the matchups had been revealed previously, the order in which the games occurred had not. Upon first glance, one thing is obvious: this is not a kind schedule for the Longhorns in year one under Sean Miller. While the SEC is […]
This week, the SEC dropped its official schedules for the 2026 conference slate. Though the matchups had been revealed previously, the order in which the games occurred had not.
Upon first glance, one thing is obvious: this is not a kind schedule for the Longhorns in year one under Sean Miller. While the SEC is going to be loaded for the foreseeable future given the NIL structures and the coaching talent present, the amount of road tests against quality teams for this Texas squad poses a particularly tough challenge for a team implementing a new system with several new players.
The schedule is as follows.
JANUARY
- January 3 – vs. Mississippi State
- January 6/7 – at Tennessee
- January 10 – at Alabama
- January 13 – vs. Vanderbilt
- January 17 – vs. Texas A&M
- January 20 – at Kentucky
- January 24 – vs. Georgia
- January 27 – at Auburn
- January 31 – at Oklahoma
FEBRUARY
- February 3 – vs. South Carolina
- February 7 – vs. Ole Miss
- February 14 – at Missouri
- February 17/18 – vs. LSU
- February 21 – at Georgia
- February 25 – vs. Florida
- February 28 – vs. Texas A&M
MARCH
- March 3/4 – at Arkansas
- March 7 – vs. Oklahoma
January Games
The first month of SEC play is absolutely brutal for Texas, including several notable road games within a few weeks of each other. Following a season opener against an underrated Mississippi State squad, Texas faces a grueling back-to-back stretch starting January 6–7 with a trip to Knoxville to face Tennessee before another road game against Alabama on January 10. Both the Vols and Crimson Tide will be top-10 teams to start the season, and for good reason.
Rick Barnes and Tennessee bring in high-level transfer guards in Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Maryland) and Amaree Abram (Louisiana Tech), as well as top-five recruit 6-foot-9 forward Nate Ament, a potential top-five pick in 2026. They also add forward Jaylen Carey (Vanderbilt) and return center Felix Okpara.
Alabama and head coach Nate Oats, one of the best offensive minds in basketball, brings back elite point guard Labaron Philon, who was projected as a first-round pick this past summer, as well as wing Latrell Wrightsell, guard Aden Holloway, and center Aiden Sherrell. On top of this, they added guard Jalil Bethea (Miami FL), a five-star recruit in the class of 2024, and bouncy forward Taylor Bol Bowen (Florida State).
Two winnable home games against Vanderbilt and Texas A&M follow before the Longhorns head back out on the road to Lexington to take on a revamped Kentucky team with one of the most talented rosters in the SEC.
Wildcats head coach Mark Pope has assembled a true monster, bringing in one of the best transfer classes in the country. The group includes former Fort Bend Marshall (TX) point guard Jaland Lowe (Pittsburgh), wing Denzel Aberdeen (Florida), forward Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama), and a potential top-five pick in center Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State – will be out until January with knee injury).
Pope also returns wing Otega Oweh and center Brandon Garrison, plus adds freshmen talent in point guard Jasper Johnson and seven-footer Malachi Moreno.
A home clash with Georgia precedes yet another very difficult road test against Auburn, a Final Four team last season that has only reloaded despite the loss of first-team All-American Johni Broome (35th pick, Philadelphia 76ers).
As if bringing back a potential first-rounder in this summer’s draft, point guard Tahaad Pettiford, wasn’t enough, the Tigers add guard Kevin Overton (Texas Tech), scoring wing Keyshawn Hall (Central Florida), Serbian forward Filip Jovic, and elite defensive center KeShawn Murphy (Mississippi State).
The Longhorns then travel to Norman on January 31 for a game against Oklahoma, who has improved since last season, even with the loss of seventh-overall pick Jeremiah Fears. They add three talented players in guards Xzayvier Brown (Saint Joseph’s) and Nijel Pack (Miami FL), as well as former five-star forward Derrion Reid (Alabama).
February Games
February starts off with a winnable home game against South Carolina, but immediately follows that up with one of the most hyped games of the season: a matchup with Ole Miss and former coach Chris Beard at the Moody Center.
The Rebels have a very good team for 2025-26, including guards Koren Johnson (Louisville) and Ilias Kamardine (France), as well as wing AJ Storr (Kansas) and forward James Scott (Louisville). They bring back forward Malik Dia, and add forward Corey Chest (LSU) and freshman four-star big man Niko Bundalo.
At Missouri, versus LSU, and a rematch on the road against Georgia follow before arguably the headliner of the season happens in Austin on February 25: the defending National Champion Florida Gators come to town, looking as good as ever with a mix of high-level new additions and returners. They add two of the best back court transfers in the country in Xaivian Lee (Princeton) and Boogie Fland (Arkansas), as well as bring back the core of their championship team’s front court in forward Thomas Haugh, forward Alex Condon, and center Rueben Chinyelu.
They finish off the month with a second game against Texas A&M, this time in College Station.
March Games
Though Texas plays just two regular-season games in March before the conference tournament begins, they will both be crucial to the season. On March 3, the Longhorns battle long-time rival Arkansas on the road in Fayetteville after last year’s thrilling loss despite a monstrous performance from eventual sixth-overall pick Tre Johnson.
The Razorbacks have the best freshman back court duo in the country in Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas, reminiscent of some of John Calipari’s young Kentucky guard groups. They also have returners in guard DJ Wagner, wing Karter Knox, and forward Trevon Brazile. Transfer big men Malique Ewin (Florida State) and Nick Pringle (South Carolina) round out the top of Arkansas’ rotation.
The season ends with a home stand against Oklahoma on Saturday, March 7, before the beginning of the SEC Tournament.
Overall Thoughts and Expectations
Though every team in the SEC plays each other at least once, not all conference schedules are created equal. There may not be a sport where playing at home matters more, especially places like Auburn and Alabama where fans truly bring the energy on top of having elite teams and coaching.
Texas will be battle tested after just the first few games of the season – fans and analysts will have a much better idea of what this team can achieve after the first six matchups.
What are the expectations? Being realistic, this team needs to win at least eight of the 18 conference games to ensure they are in the NCAA Tournament, and finish above .500 in the SEC if they want a more favorable seed.
Though a 6-12 record got Texas (barely) into the dance last year, the Longhorns should be aiming higher than that if they want to make any kind of run towards the second weekend in March Madness. Despite questions about shooting, this Texas front court is vastly improved over last year’s group, and should provide enough physicality to be competitive in the conference, even against better teams.
If Texas can take care of business against inferior conference opponents and pull off a couple of upsets, they can surprise people in the NCAAs.
Category: General Sports
