The sun has now set on Texas softball’s historic 2025 season after winning its first national championship in program history. For head coach Mike White and his team, the 2026 season will no longer be about chasing the crown, but defending it.
The Southeastern Conference recently released the conference schedules for the upcoming season, and the Longhorns will face eight opponents who made the NCAA Tournament and two who made appearances in the Women’s College World Series a year ago.
The Longhorns will play South Carolina, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama, Oklahoma, Georgia, Kentucky and Arkansas. Here is a way-too-early look at four of those top conference matchups:
Ole Miss – March 13-15
The Rebels finished last season with a 42–21 record and made their first-ever Women’s College World Series appearance in program history. Ole Miss would upset SEC foe and the No. 4 overall seed in the Super Regionals, Arkansas.
While the teams did not face each other in a regular season series, the Longhorns and Rebels did cross paths in the SEC Tournament, where Texas won with a 7-6 walk-off victory. Ole Miss will visit Austin in early March, which will mark the first series as conference rivals and the Longhorns’ second conference series of the year.
Texas A&M – March 27-29
The Aggies had a historic season of their own after finishing the season with a 48–11 record. Texas A&M was ranked No. 1 for the first time in program history and entered the NCAA Tournament as the top seed. However, history was made in more ways than one as the Aggies became the first No. 1 overall seed to not make it out of the Regionals round.
There was no Lone Star Showdown series a season ago, but 2026 will change that when Texas hosts Texas A&M in late March. Texas and Texas A&M did, however, face off in the SEC Tournament, with Texas A&M winning in dominant fashion, 14-2.
Oklahoma – Apr. 10-12
The diamond edition of the Red River Rivalry needs no added hype or introduction after recent editions of the matchup. The Sooners looked destined for an unprecedented five straight national titles and looked further empowered after sweeping the Longhorns in the regular season.
However, when both teams met in Oklahoma City, Texas finally got the upper hand in a 4-2 victory. When Oklahoma travels to Austin in early April, the matchup could be a pivotal series for both programs.
Arkansas – Apr. 30-May 2
Texas will look to end its season on a strong note as it hosts its final conference series of the season against Arkansas, making it the first series as SEC rivals.
The Razorbacks finished up their fourth 40-win season in the past five years after a 44–14 record in 2025 and earned at No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, Arkansas will head into this season without star infielder Bri Ellis, who was USA Softball’s Collegiate Player of the Year last season.
