The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Football’s 2025 Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown set for Friday after Thanksgiving
05.08.2025 | Football
This season’s annual rivalry game between Texas and Texas A&M will be played in Austin on November 28 at 6:30 p.m. CT, placing it on the Friday of the holiday weekend for the first time since 2007.
Austin – Kickoff for this season's Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown football game against Texas A&M in Austin has been set for Friday, November 28, at 6:30 p.m. CT, the schools announced Thursday.
A Thanksgiving weekend tradition, 2025 will mark the first time the game has been played on the Friday of the holiday weekend since 2007. In the renewal of the rivalry this past season, it was played on Saturday, but in the four meetings prior to that from 2008-11, it was held on Thanksgiving Day. Prior to 2008, the game occurred on the Friday of Thanksgiving from 1996-2007.
The long-time in-state rivals also played on a Friday twice in 1974-75, and in 1941 on a Thursday when Thanksgiving was Wednesday (Nov. 26), for a total of 15 times on the day after Thanksgiving. In all, 84 of Texas' 119 meetings with Texas A&M have come on Thanksgiving or the day after.
The Longhorns and Aggies will be meeting for the 120th time in a series that dates back to 1894 with Texas holding a 77-37-5 advantage, including a 46-12-1 edge in Austin. This year's game will be the first time the teams have faced off in Austin since 2010 with last two meetings coming in College State in 2024 and 2011. Texas has won four of the last five in the series with the lone exception coming in that game in Austin in 2010.
The Longhorns are entering year five of the Steve Sarkisian era, and in the last two seasons have posted a 25-5 record, back-to-back College Football Playoffs semifinal appearances, an SEC Championship Game appearance and a Big 12 Championship. They open the 2025 season on August 30 on the road at Ohio State with the home opener versus San Jose State set for September 6. That will be the first of six home games that include contests against UTEP (Sept. 13), Sam Houston (Sept. 20), Vanderbilt (Nov. 1), Arkansas (Nov. 22) and the Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown against Texas A&M (Nov. 28).