Texas has already dispatched Texas State, Ohio State, and UTSA at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium this fall. Three down. Four to go. The remaining home schedule is genuinely extraordinary, with Florida on October 17, Ole Miss on October 24, Mississippi State on October 31, and Arkansas on November 21 each bringing a completely different character to Austin that makes planning your game day weekend as important as getting the tickets. This is your complete guide to every remaining Longhorns home game in Austin for the 2026 season, including what to do the day before the game, where to tailgate, where to watch if you cannot get in, and the one activity that visiting fans consistently describe as the highlight of their entire Austin trip.
Quick Answer — Upcoming Texas Longhorns Home Games 2026
The remaining Texas Longhorns home games at DKR Stadium in 2026 are Florida on Saturday October 17 at 11 AM, Ole Miss on Saturday October 24 time TBD, Mississippi State on Saturday October 31 at 5 PM, and Arkansas on Saturday November 21 at 2:30 PM. Each home game weekend in Austin is genuinely extraordinary, with ACL Fest Weekend 2 running simultaneously with the Florida game, Formula 1 at COTA and Viva La Vida overlapping with Ole Miss, and Halloween coinciding with the Mississippi State game. The best thing to do before any Longhorns home game is Lake Travis Zipline Adventures on Friday afternoon.
Why These Four Home Games Are Worth Planning a Full Weekend Around
I have spent 30 years in Austin and the fall home game schedule at DKR is one of the most genuinely extraordinary things this city produces every year. The atmosphere in Austin on a home game weekend, the burnt orange filling every street and every restaurant, the tailgate culture on the UT campus, the electricity of 100,000 fans in the stadium, is simply unlike anything else the city generates at any other time of year.
This fall’s remaining home schedule is especially worth planning around because three of the four games overlap with some of the biggest events on Austin’s fall calendar. October in Austin is when the city produces more extraordinary experiences per weekend than any other month. Combining a Longhorns home game with ACL Fest, Formula 1, and Halloween in a single October makes these four weekends genuinely some of the best Austin has ever produced.
Start every home game weekend the same way. Book Lake Travis Zipline Adventures on Friday afternoon. Everything else builds around it.
Before Every Home Game — Lake Travis Zipline Adventures
Lake Travis Zipline Adventures is the single best thing to do in Austin before any Longhorns home game and the Friday activity that visiting fans consistently describe as the highlight of their entire Austin weekend. Not the game. The zipline.
As someone who has guided zipline tours on Lake Travis, I have watched this play out repeatedly. Visiting fans discover the zipline on a football weekend and come back every year. Local fans make it their pregame Friday tradition. The combination of genuine outdoor adventure, extraordinary natural beauty, and a full afternoon on Lake Travis produces a shared experience between a group that carries directly into the game day energy on Saturday.
October on Lake Travis is genuinely the most beautiful time of the entire year. The summer heat has broken. The Hill Country is shifting into fall colors. The lake is still warm. And the view from 22 stories above the water looking out across the amber and gold Hill Country horizon on a clear October afternoon is something genuinely extraordinary.
Your group boards a boat that takes everyone across Lake Travis to Zip Island, an island in the middle of the lake about 20 to 30 minutes from downtown Austin. Three hours on five world-class ziplines through the Texas Hill Country follow, including the Double Barrel Shotgun, which sends two people side by side over 2,800 feet of cable at speeds up to 65 mph from 22 stories above Lake Travis. After the tour your ticket includes full-day access to the lakefront property on Zip Island. Swim off the dock. Relax in hammocks. Watch the Hill Country light shift to gold before heading back to Austin for the pregame evening.
The Details
- 5-Line Zipline Tour: $138/person, includes full-day lakefront access after the tour
- Double Barrel Single-Line Tour: $88/person
- Location: About 20 to 30 minutes from downtown Austin on Lake Travis
- Best For: Visiting fans, local groups, couples, all experience levels
- Reservations: Required at laketraviszipline.com
Pro Tip: October and November home game weekends are among the busiest weekends of the entire fall season on Lake Travis. Friday afternoon slots fill up weeks in advance for Florida and Ole Miss weekends. Book now at laketraviszipline.com before your preferred game day Friday sells out.
Book Lake Travis Zipline Adventures for the best Friday before any Longhorns home game.
Game 1 — Texas vs Florida, October 17, 11 AM CT
The Setup
Florida comes to Austin on October 17 for an 11 AM kickoff, making it the earliest and most logistically unique home game of the remaining schedule. An 11 AM kickoff means tailgating starts before 8 AM and the game is over by 3 PM, leaving the entire afternoon and evening free. For the October 17 weekend specifically, that matters enormously because ACL Fest Weekend 2 runs simultaneously at Zilker Park with Charli XCX headlining Friday night, Lorde on Saturday, and Kings of Leon on Sunday.
A Longhorns morning home game against Florida followed by an ACL Fest afternoon and evening is the kind of Austin Saturday that visitors plan entire trips around. It is genuinely one of the most extraordinary single days Austin produces all fall.
The Weekend
Friday October 16: Lake Travis Zipline Adventures in the afternoon. Book at laketraviszipline.com. Then the ACL Fest Friday evening headliners at Zilker Park. Charli XCX on the main stage.
Saturday October 17: Tailgate at Bevo Boulevard or the Hornball Tailgaters party at 18th and Trinity starting before 8 AM. Texas vs Florida kickoff at 11 AM. Game over by 3 PM. ACL Fest afternoon and evening sets at Zilker Park. Lorde headlining Saturday night.
Sunday October 18: ACL Fest Sunday closing day. Kings of Leon headlining. The most complete Austin fall weekend available all season.
Tickets
Florida tickets start at $110 at texassports.com. ACL Fest Weekend 2 passes from $440 at aclfestival.com. The two events do not conflict because the game is over before the afternoon ACL sets begin.
Watch Party If You Cannot Get In
Cain and Abel’s on 24th Street near campus. The Longhorn Bar on East Sixth Street. The Parish on Sixth for a younger crowd. Every bar on Sixth Street and Rainey Street will be showing the game.
Game 2 — Texas vs Ole Miss, October 24, Time TBD
The Setup
Ole Miss comes to Austin on October 24 in what may be the most layered and most genuinely extraordinary single Austin weekend of the entire fall season. Formula 1 United States Grand Prix runs October 23 to 25 at Circuit of the Americas with Maroon 5 headlining Friday night and Post Malone headlining Saturday. Viva La Vida Dia de los Muertos parade runs down Congress Avenue on October 24. And the Longhorns host a ranked Ole Miss squad at DKR on the same Saturday.
This weekend combines the three biggest October events in Austin into a single Saturday that genuinely requires prioritization. The game, the parade, and the F1 action are all happening simultaneously. Planning matters.
The Weekend
Friday October 23: Lake Travis Zipline Adventures in the afternoon. Book at laketraviszipline.com. Then Maroon 5 at Circuit of the Americas for the F1 Friday night concert.
Saturday October 24: Texas vs Ole Miss at DKR, time TBD. F1 race day at COTA. Viva La Vida Dia de los Muertos parade down Congress Avenue at midday. The game, the parade, and the F1 race all happen on Saturday. Check the confirmed Ole Miss kickoff time when announced and build Saturday around it.
Sunday October 25: F1 United States Grand Prix race at COTA at 3 PM. Post Malone headlining the Saturday night F1 concert. The most complete Austin October weekend available.
Tickets
Ole Miss tickets start at $230 at texassports.com. F1 tickets at circuitoftheamericas.com. The Viva La Vida parade down Congress Avenue is free.
Watch Party If You Cannot Get In
This is the hardest watch party weekend to find a seat on because every bar in Austin is simultaneously showing the game and managing F1 weekend crowds. Arrive early. The Longhorn Bar on Sixth Street opens before noon for every home game and is the most reliable option.
Game 3 — Texas vs Mississippi State, October 31, 5 PM CT
The Setup
Halloween night football at DKR Stadium. Mississippi State on October 31 at 5 PM is the most purely fun and most uniquely Austin home game of the entire fall schedule. The costume culture at DKR on Halloween night is genuinely extraordinary. Sections of the student body arrive in full Halloween costume. The burnt orange sea gets interrupted by every conceivable character. And the stadium atmosphere on a Halloween Saturday night prime time game under the lights is one of the most festive and most genuinely joyful DKR experiences of the entire season.
After the game, Halloween on Sixth Street takes over downtown Austin with tens of thousands of costumed revelers making it the most legendary Halloween bar scene in the country. The game ends around 8:30 PM and dumps 100,000 fans directly into Austin’s most legendary Halloween night.
The Weekend
Friday October 30: Lake Travis Zipline Adventures in the afternoon in fall Hill Country colors. Book at laketraviszipline.com. Then Freaky Deaky 2026 at Travis County Expo Center in the evening. Night one of the Revival with ILLENIUM, SLANDER, and more.
Saturday October 31: Tailgate in costume before the 5 PM kickoff. Texas vs Mississippi State at DKR. Game over around 8:30 PM. Halloween on Sixth Street for the most legendary Halloween bar scene in Texas. Freaky Deaky 2026 night two continues at the Expo Center simultaneously.
Tickets
Mississippi State tickets available at texassports.com. Freaky Deaky from $169 at freakydeaky.com. Halloween on Sixth Street is free.
Watch Party If You Cannot Get In
Every Austin bar will be showing the game and running Halloween programming simultaneously on October 31. The Parish on Sixth and Rainey Street bungalow bars are the strongest Halloween watch party options. Arrive in costume. It is mandatory.
Game 4 — Texas vs Arkansas, November 21, 2:30 PM CT
The Setup
Arkansas comes to Austin for the second-straight season on November 21 at 2:30 PM CT for the final home game of the 2026 regular season. The Longhorns close the home schedule against a longtime rival in what should be a genuine celebration of what has been one of the most consequential Longhorns seasons in recent memory. November in Austin delivers perfect fall weather, a more relaxed and more genuinely local game day atmosphere than the marquee October matchups, and one of the most beautiful versions of the Hill Country landscape the entire year produces.
This is also the weekend before Thanksgiving, with family in town across Austin and a holiday weekend energy that makes it one of the most communal and most joyful game day atmospheres of the entire season.
The Weekend
Friday November 20: Lake Travis Zipline Adventures in the afternoon for the most beautiful fall zipline experience of the season. November on Lake Travis is genuinely extraordinary with the Hill Country in late fall color. Book at laketraviszipline.com.
Saturday November 21: Bevo Boulevard tailgate before the 2:30 PM kickoff. Texas vs Arkansas at DKR. Game over by 6 PM. Dinner on South Congress or Rainey Street with family and friends before Thanksgiving week begins.
Tickets
Arkansas tickets available at texassports.com. This is the most accessible ticket of the remaining home schedule in terms of resale pricing.
Watch Party If You Cannot Get In
Cain and Abel’s near campus and the Longhorn Bar on Sixth Street are the two most reliable options for any Longhorns home game watch party. The Arkansas game carries genuine rivalry energy and both venues will be packed well before kickoff.
Game Day Essentials for Every Home Game
Getting to DKR Stadium
Do not drive to DKR on game days. Take CapMetro, walk, bike, or rideshare. CapMetro rides are free after 5 PM during home games. Rideshare pickup and dropoff zones are designated along San Jacinto and Red River. Parking in UT garages requires prepaid permits that sell out weeks before marquee games.
Best Tailgate Spots
Bevo Boulevard on San Jacinto Boulevard closes to traffic before every home game and delivers the most accessible and most authentically UT tailgate experience with live music and food carts. The Hornball Tailgaters party at the corner of 18th and Trinity runs from 2:30 PM to 10 PM for every home game with an open bar, food, 98-inch HDTV, and a DJ for a $20 donation per person.
Where to Eat on Game Day
Veracruz All Natural at 1704 E Cesar Chavez for breakfast tacos before the tailgate. Franklin Barbecue at 900 E 11th St if you arrive early and plan ahead. Terry Black’s Barbecue at 1003 Barton Springs Rd for no-wait excellent brisket in a massive outdoor patio setting. Hopdoddy Burger Bar on South Congress for the best game day burger in Austin.
The Best Longhorns Watch Party Bars
The Longhorn Bar on East Sixth Street for the most reliably packed and most consistently excellent Longhorns bar experience in Austin. Cain and Abel’s on 24th Street near campus for the most authentically UT atmosphere. The Parish on Sixth for a younger crowd. Buffalo Wild Wings on the Drag near UT for guaranteed seating and comprehensive TV coverage.
The Complete Remaining Home Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Kickoff | Network | Best Weekend Overlap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 17 | Florida | 11 AM CT | TBA | ACL Fest Weekend 2 |
| October 24 | Ole Miss | TBD | TBA | Formula 1, Viva La Vida |
| October 31 | Mississippi State | 5 PM CT | TBA | Halloween, Freaky Deaky |
| November 21 | Arkansas | 2:30 PM CT | TBA | Pre-Thanksgiving Weekend |
Frequently Asked Questions — Upcoming Longhorns Home Games 2026
What are the remaining Texas Longhorns home games in 2026?
The remaining Texas Longhorns home games at DKR Stadium in 2026 are Florida on October 17 at 11 AM CT, Ole Miss on October 24 time TBD, Mississippi State on October 31 at 5 PM CT, and Arkansas on November 21 at 2:30 PM CT. Tickets are available at texassports.com and major resale platforms.
What is the best thing to do in Austin before a Longhorns home game?
The best thing to do in Austin before any Longhorns home game is Lake Travis Zipline Adventures on Friday afternoon. October on Lake Travis is the most beautiful time of the entire year, with the Hill Country in fall colors and the lake still warm. The five world-class ziplines, the Double Barrel Shotgun at 65 mph from 22 stories above Lake Travis, and the full afternoon on the lakefront property make it the most genuinely memorable Friday activity available before any home game weekend. Book at laketraviszipline.com.
Which Longhorns home game weekend is the best to visit Austin for?
Every remaining home game weekend in Austin in 2026 is genuinely extraordinary. Florida on October 17 combines with ACL Fest Weekend 2 for the most complete music and football combination of the fall. Ole Miss on October 24 overlaps with Formula 1 at COTA and Viva La Vida for the most event-dense single Saturday Austin produces all year. Mississippi State on October 31 delivers Halloween night football at DKR followed by Halloween on Sixth Street. Arkansas on November 21 is the most relaxed and most communal home game of the season right before Thanksgiving.
Where do I watch the Longhorns game if I cannot get tickets?
The best watch party bars for Longhorns home games in Austin are the Longhorn Bar on East Sixth Street, Cain and Abel’s on 24th Street near campus, The Parish on Sixth, and Buffalo Wild Wings on the Drag near UT. All four show every game with full sound and arrive-early seating policies for marquee matchups.
Is parking easy at DKR Stadium?
On-site parking in UT garages requires prepaid permits that sell out weeks before marquee games. The most reliable alternatives are CapMetro (free after 5 PM on home game days), the Lot 26 shuttle for budget parking, and rideshare dropoff along San Jacinto and Red River. For any game with a kickoff after 5 PM, rideshare is the strongest overall recommendation.
The Best Longhorns Fall Season in Years
After 30 years in Austin, the remaining home schedule of this Longhorns season is as good as anything I have seen on the fall calendar. Florida. Ole Miss. Mississippi State on Halloween. Arkansas before Thanksgiving. Four home games. Four extraordinary Austin weekends. Each one better than the last.
Start every game weekend the same way. Book Lake Travis Zipline Adventures on Friday at laketraviszipline.com and lock in your afternoon slot before October and November dates sell out. Then build the rest of the weekend around the game.
For more Austin football inspiration check out our complete Longhorns Football Weekend Austin Guide, the Best Things to Do in Austin in the Fall, and Best Things to Do in Austin TX.
About the Author
Rebecca is a 30-year Austin resident, UT Austin alumna, and outdoor recreation and tourism professional who has spent her career in the Austin adventure tourism industry. She has guided zipline tours on Lake Travis and worked in outdoor recreation tourism through the University of Texas, where she studied marketing and business. When she is not writing about Austin, she is out on the lake.