Upcoming Texas Longhorns football dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
Your DKR seat decision, made simple
For a Texas home game, the top choice is the lower bowl between the 30-yard lines, in the middle or upper rows, so the benches do not cut off the near sideline. On a day kickoff, lean toward the west side, which falls into shade first. For a lower cost with a full view, centered seats in the upper decks are the sideline value play. End zones are the least expensive way into the big games, at the price of judging depth on plays at the far end.
If you would rather sit than stand, steer clear of the south end zone, where the students and the Longhorn Band are seated.
Bellmont side, east side and the two end zones
Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium opened in 1924 to honor Texans who served in World War I, was rededicated after World War II and took Royal's name in 1996. It is a bowl with the end zones at the north and south ends, and its listed capacity is 100,119. The biggest crowd on record, 105,215, watched Georgia visit on October 19, 2024.
West side
The west stands carry the name of former athletics director L. Theo Bellmont. This side holds the press box and the premium areas, and its upper deck dates to 1971.
East side
The east upper deck and its suites arrived in 1998. Its upper rows are steep, but centered seats give a complete read of the field at a sensible cost.
North end
A multilevel structure built in 2008 pulled end zone seating closer to the field. It is a reasonable budget choice, particularly for watching goal-line plays at your end.
South end
The complex finished in 2021 added club seats, suites, a big video board and student seating. The Longhorn Band has sat at this end since 2008. Expect the people around you to stand most of the game.
Visitors
The athletic department sets the road team's allotment for each game, and the block can move. Check the seating chart on a listing if you want to sit with or away from the visiting crowd.
Beating the Austin heat on a day kickoff
Heat is the single biggest seating variable in Austin in September and early October. With the sidelines facing east and west, the west grandstand shades itself first in the afternoon, and the east side looks into the sun. For a daytime game, the top of the west side and the shaded club spaces stay coolest, while the lower east seats bake. LED lights installed in 2023–24 make night kickoffs routine, and after dark the issue mostly goes away.
This is a rule of thumb based on the stadium's orientation, not a published shade map.
Where Longhorn demand peaks
- Texas A&M Aggies football: the Lone Star Showdown began in 1894 and was played almost every year, often around Thanksgiving, until 2011. It returned in 2024 after Texas moved to the SEC. An Aggies game in Austin is the most sought-after ticket in town.
- Oklahoma Sooners Football: the Red River Rivalry, played since 1900, takes place each October at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, roughly halfway between the schools, with the crowd split at the 50-yard line. It is not part of the home package and is sold on its own.
- Arkansas Razorbacks Football: the old Southwest Conference foe from the 1969 "Game of the Century" is back as a conference opponent.
- Former league rivals: Texas Tech Red Raiders Football, Baylor Bears Football, TCU Horned Frogs Football and Rice now appear only as non-conference bookings.
Ranked SEC visitors, night games and Homecoming also lift demand. Early nonconference dates are usually easiest, and resale prices tend to shift once TV windows are announced.
Season holders, students and the resale market
Season ticket holders occupy most of the stadium, and who gets the best sideline locations depends on giving to the athletics fund. Students purchase their own sports packages for their sections. The result is a thin public supply of single-game seats for the biggest opponents.
For marquee games, then, most fans buy on the resale market. Inventory is easy to find for nonconference and lower-ranked visitors and becomes scarce for Texas A&M, Georgia, other ranked SEC teams and late-season games with the title race on the line. SEC kickoff times are often set only days or a couple of weeks out, so confirm the time before you commit. Each Reserved Seat order carries a 100% guarantee.
Bevo, Big Bertha and the Tower lit orange
- Bevo: a live longhorn steer, on hand as the mascot at home games.
- Big Bertha: a bass drum the band calls the largest anywhere; Big Bertha II debuted in 2022.
- Smokey the Cannon: it booms at kickoff and after every Texas score.
- Songs and signs: "The Eyes of Texas" and "Texas Fight," plus the Hook 'em Horns hand sign, which goes back to a 1955 pep rally.
- The UT Tower: lit orange after a win.
- Veterans Recognition Day: one home game each season marks the stadium's memorial roots.
Because the stadium is close to downtown, many fans walk, ride transit or use rideshare instead of driving. As of the 2026 season, SEC stadiums use clear-bag rules that require transparent bags within set size limits. Before gameday, confirm current bag sizes, parking and tailgate rules with Texas Athletics.
A century of Texas football in a few lines
Texas first played in 1893, was a Southwest Conference member for roughly eight decades, spent 1996 through 2023 in the Big 12 and moved to the SEC in 2024. The program has won more than 950 games and 34 conference titles. It claims national championships for 1963, 1969, 1970 and 2005; the 2005 team went 13–0 and beat USC in the Rose Bowl Game.
Darrell K Royal won three of those titles while coaching from 1957 to 1976, Dana X. Bible built an earlier era, and Mack Brown led the 2005 champions. Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams won the Heisman Trophy, and the field is named Campbell-Williams Field for them. Texas reached the College Football Playoff after both the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best section at DKR–Texas Memorial Stadium?
The lower bowl between the 30-yard lines, in the middle and upper rows, gives the best overall view. On day games, the west side adds shade.
Is the Red River Rivalry part of the Texas home schedule?
No. The Oklahoma game is played each October at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, with each fan base taking half the stands, and it is sold separately from Austin home games.
Where do Texas students and the band sit?
In the south end zone. Student seating is part of the complex finished in 2021, and the Longhorn Band has been in the south end since 2008. Plan on standing if you sit there.
Which seats are hottest at Texas day games?
The lower east seats get the most direct sun at afternoon games. Upper west seats and the covered clubs are cooler.
What is the biggest crowd at DKR–Texas Memorial Stadium?
The record is 105,215, set against Georgia on October 19, 2024. The listed capacity is 100,119.