HOUSTON, Texas — Texas Southern’s Board of Regents approved on Saturday, July 18 the release of the Tigers’ official 2026 football schedule, ending months of uncertainty about where games would be played. TSU will not play any games at Shell Energy Stadium during their 2026 season.
Five of Texas Southern’s six home games will be played at W. W. Thorne Stadium, which is part of Aldine ISD in north Houston. The Oct. 24 homecoming game against Southern will take place at Reliant Stadium.
This final schedule ends a long period of uncertainty, as the athletic department had to work around Houston Dynamo/Dash events at the downtown venue, which has been the Tigers’ main home since 2012.
The official release updates the schedule that was sent to season ticket holders and alumni earlier this year. The Oct. 31 game against Grambling State, originally scheduled for Bulldog Stadium in La Porte, will now be played at Thorne Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
The games against Mississippi Valley State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, originally scheduled for Shell Energy Stadium, will also be held at Thorne.
2026 Texas Southern Football Schedule
- Aug. 29 — North Carolina Central, 6 p.m., W.W. Thorne Stadium (Gray Out)
- Sept. 6 — at Prairie View A&M, 11 a.m., Prairie View, Texas (Labor Day Classic, Greek Night)
- Sept. 12 — at UTEP, 8 p.m., El Paso, Texas (Maroon Out)
- Sept. 26 — at Alcorn State*, 3 p.m., Lorman, Mississippi (Faith Night)
- Oct. 3 — at Florida Atlantic, 5 p.m., Boca Raton, Florida (White Out)
- Oct. 10 — Mississippi Valley State*, 2 p.m., W.W. Thorne Stadium ( (Pink Out)
- Oct. 24 — Southern*, 2 p.m., Reliant Stadium (Homecoming)
- Oct. 31 — Grambling State*, 7:30 p.m., W.W. Thorne Stadium (All Sports Night)
- Nov. 7 — Alabama State*, 2 p.m., W.W. Thorne Stadium ( (Senior Night)
- Nov. 14 — at Alabama A&M*, 2 p.m., Huntsville, Alabama (Military Night)
- Nov. 21 — Arkansas-Pine Bluff*, 3 p.m., W.W. Thorne Stadium ( (Giving Night)
*SWAC game. Home games at Thorne Stadium and Reliant Stadium. Times, dates and venues subject to change.
Homecoming on an NFL Stage
Texas Southern will host Southern at Reliant Stadium at 2 p.m. on Oct. 24. The stadium, which seats 72,000 and is home to the Houston Texans, will return to its Reliant name in August 2026 after being called NRG Stadium for 12 years.
This homecoming game against a top SWAC team gives the Tigers their biggest stage during the university’s Road to 100 celebration, which marks 100 years from 1927 to 2027.
A First-Ever Meeting Opens the Season
Head coach Cris Dishman will start his third season on Aug. 29, when North Carolina Central comes to Thorne Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff. This will be the first time the Tigers and Eagles play each other, and it’s also NCCU’s first game in Houston since moving to Division I. The opener is also the Gray Out game that will broadcast on HBCU GO.
The Labor Day Classic will be played in a new time slot this year. Instead of starting the season, the rivalry game against Prairie View A&M will take place in Week 2, with an 11 a.m. kickoff on Sunday, Sept. 6 at Panther Stadium in Prairie View. Playing on Sunday morning gives the Classic its own broadcast spotlight during Labor Day weekend.
Two FBS Paydays on the Road
Texas Southern will play two FBS teams on the road. The Tigers go to UTEP on Sept. 12 for an 8 p.m. game in El Paso, then travel to Boca Raton to play Florida Atlantic on Oct. 3 at 5 p.m. Between those games, they visit Alcorn State in Lorman, Mississippi, on Sept. 26 to start SWAC play for both teams.
The Conference Gauntlet
Texas Southern will play four straight conference games at Thorne Stadium late in the season. Mississippi Valley State visits on Oct. 10 for the Pink Out, followed by Grambling State on Oct. 31. Andrew Body and Alabama State travels to Houston on Nov. 7 for Senior Night, which is special because Black College Football Hall of Famer Eddie Robinson Jr. will bring former Texas Southern quarterback Andrew Body back to the city where he played for three years.
Texas Southern will travel to Huntsville, Alabama, to play Alabama A&M on Nov. 14 before finishing the regular season. The Tigers wrap up with a home game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 3 p.m. on Nov. 21, which is also Giving Night.
Now that the venues are set, the focus shifts to how the Tigers will handle a schedule that begins with a new matchup and culminates in a homecoming event befitting their “Road to 100” anniversary campaign.
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