Texas vs. Oklahoma: A guide to college football’s storied Red River Rivalry

By | October 10, 2026
Texas and Oklahoma meet at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas with the stadium split down the 50-yard line and each fan base bringing its own colors, traditions and expectations. Getty Images

Top-ranked Texas takes on Oklahoma on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET/ABC) at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas for the 122nd edition of one of college football’s defining annual rivalries. 

The Red River Rivalry, named for the waterway that separates Texas and Oklahoma, symbolizes the state-line bragging rights at stake, between two fiercely proud fan bases. 

FULL STORY: The Oklahoma-Texas rivalry: Over 100 years of history, hate and drama

Texas and Oklahoma have spent generations competing for conference championships, national relevance and recruiting supremacy. Getty Images

Here’s a quick primer on the rivalry, which is played against the backdrop of the State Fair of Texas and carries more than a century of history, drama and bragging rights:

  • Series history: The rivalry dates to 1900, when Texas beat Oklahoma 28-2. The Longhorns lead the all-time series 65-51-5 heading into this season’s matchup.
  • State Fair tradition: Since 1929, the game has been a fixture of the State Fair of Texas, traditionally played on the second Saturday of October. The Cotton Bowl crowd is split between crimson and burnt orange.
  • The stakes: The winner takes home the Golden Hat Trophy, a gold-plated prize that has been part of the rivalry since 1941. It remains one of college football’s most recognizable rivalry trophies.
  • The spying episode: In 1976, Texas coach Darrell Royal accused Oklahoma of spying on his practices — a controversy traced to 1972, when an OU operative posed as a construction worker to watch Texas practice. The 1976 game ended 6-6. 
  • Recent classics: In 2018, kicker Cameron Dicker hit a 40-yard field goal with nine seconds left in a 48-45 Texas win. In 2021, Kennedy Brooks scored on a 33-yard touchdown run in the final seconds to give Oklahoma a 55-48 victory.

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Mike Garbett is a content specialist working with McClatchy’s Content Innovation Lab.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.

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