Who are the future nonconference opponents for the Oklahoma Sooners?
· Yahoo Sports
The Oklahoma Sooners have made it a priority to schedule strong out-of-conference games for a long time, Just in the last 15 years, OU has played a home-and-home nonconference series with the likes of Florida State (2010 and 2011), Notre Dame (2012 and 2013), Tennessee (2014 and 2015), Ohio State (2016 and 2017), UCLA (2018 and 2019), and Nebraska (2021 and 2022), and the Sooners are in the middle of one against Michigan spanning last year and this year.
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That list gets even more interesting when you realize that the Sooners had plans for a number of other games against teams that are now conference opponents in the SEC. Nonconference home-and-home matchups against Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and LSU had to be eliminated when Oklahoma joined the SEC. OU has remained committed to scheduling marquee nonconference games, with a number of intriguing matchups down the road. Last year, OU defeated Illinois State, Michigan, Temple, and Kent State in non-league action.
Today, we'll take a look at what the Sooners have coming up in the non-conference slate over the next decade. With the SEC moving to nine-game league schedules starting this year, that leaves three regular season games up for grabs, and each SEC team is required to play another Power Four (Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, or Notre Dame) opponent in at least one of those games. That's where Oklahoma has some really juicy matchups on the horizon.
Here's every future non-conference game that OU currently has scheduled, according to FBSchedules.com.
2026
- vs. UTEP
- at Michigan
- vs. New Mexico
After a home tune-up game against UTEP, the Sooners will travel to Ann Arbor for a rematch against Michigan. Oklahoma won 24-13 in Norman a year ago, but the Wolverines will look different (and better) this season with a new coaching staff. Then, OU comes back home to play an upstart New Mexico squad that should play the Sooners tougher than most Group of Six opponents would.
2027
- vs. Utah State
- vs. SMU (in Arlington, Texas)
- vs. San Diego State
Oklahoma will start out at home against Utah State, before a neutral-site date with SMU at Jerry's World. The Sooners beat the Mustangs in Norman 28-11 back in 2023, and the rematch will be the marquee non-league game for OU in 2027 when both teams will be breaking in new starting quarterbacks. A home game with San Diego State provides what should be another plucky Group of Six team arriving in Norman looking to shock the world.
2028
- vs. Temple
- at Houston
- vs. Colorado State
Temple has become a familiar opponent for the Sooners, as OU beat the Owls in 2024 and 2025. Oklahoma will play host again in 2028, but the premier non-league game that year will come on the road against Houston. The Cougars have slowly been making a name for themselves in the Big 12, and perhaps by then they'll have played in a conference title game. Colorado State comes to Norman as the Sooners continue a trend of scheduling teams from out West.
2029
- at San Diego State
- vs. Nebraska
OU still has to find one more nonconference matchup in 2029, but they'll take a trip out west to face San Diego State that season. However, all eyes will be on Nebraska returning to Norman for just the second time since 2008. The two long-time rivals last played on Owen Field in 2021, with Oklahoma winning 23-16. The Sooners and the Cornhuskers are one of the best dormant rivalries in college football, and it'll be fun to see Big Red again.
2030
- vs. Tulsa
- at Nebraska
A home game against in-state Tulsa will mark the first meeting between the Sooners and Golden Hurricane since 2023, when OU won 66-17 on the road. Oklahoma will make the return trip to Nebraska in 2030, marking only the second time OU has played in Lincoln since 2009. The Sooners dominated on the road in 2022, winning 49-14, and it's always a big deal when these former Big Eight and Big 12 foes get together on the field.
2031
- vs. San Diego State
Oklahoma and San Diego State will get to know each other pretty well, as three matchups in five years will conclude with a game in Norman in 2031. The only two prior matchups resulted in a Sooners win in 1995 and an Aztecs victory in 1996.
2032 - No Scheduled Non-Conference Matchups Yet
Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny has some work to do to fill out the nonconference slate for 2031 and beyond. But much of the way Oklahoma schedules games could change in the ever-shifting landscape of college football.
2033
- vs. Tulsa
Tulsa will visit OU twice in the span of four years, with the second matchup coming in 2033. The last time the Golden Hurricane came to Norman was in 2015, when the Sooners won 52-38, part of a season that saw Oklahoma win the Big 12 and make the four-team College Football Playoff. Tulsa also played in Norman in 2013, a 51-20 win for the Sooners.
2034 - No Scheduled Non-Conference Matchups Yet
2035
- at Clemson
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables was OU's defensive coordinator from 1999 to 2011, and he became the head man in 2022. In between, he was Clemson's defensive coordinator, helping the Tigers win the national title in both 2016 and 2018. The Sooners will hit the road to face Clemson in 2035 in what should be a much-anticipated game.
2036
- vs. Clemson
In 2036, Clemson will make the return trip to Norman. Unless the schools see each other in the postseason between now and then, these games will be the first matchups since 2014 and 2015. 20 years later. The Tigers beat the Sooners 40-6 in the Russell Athletic Bowl, then topped OU again in the rematch in the CFP semifinal game at the Orange Bowl the following year.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Who are the Sooners scheduled to play in future nonconference action?