Houston Uniform Schedule 2026: Every Jersey and When the Cougars Wear It

Houston has three jerseys, three helmets and one alternate that the whole city plans a weekend around. This is the full Houston 2026 uniform schedule: the red home set, the white road set, the light blue Houston Blue alternate that came back on October 3, and a week-by-week outlook for all twelve games. The Cougars are 5-1, and the Icy Whites came out for Friday night in Lubbock. We update this page as each combination is confirmed.

The Houston 2026 Uniform Sets

The base sets come from Nike's 2025 redesign, Houston's first real overhaul since 2022, and the changes were smart ones. The rigid all-caps serif wordmark gave way to a flowing script Houston. The collars and sleeves got contrast trim for the first time since 2012. Most of all, a bold center stripe came back to the primary red helmet, which had not carried one since 1999. The whole point of that project was to make the red, the white and the Houston Blue look like one family instead of three separate ideas, and it worked. Big 12 home teams wear color and visitors wear white, so most weeks the only question is which pants and which shell. The exception is the Houston Blue game, which the athletic department treats as an annual event.

The Full Houston 2026 Uniform Schedule, Week by Week

September 5 vs. Oregon State. ★ Confirmed from the broadcast: red helmet, red jersey, white pants, the cleanest version of the new home set, for the 11 a.m. H-Town Kickoff at TDECU Stadium. The white center stripe on the red shell is the detail to look for. Houston won 33-20.

September 12 vs. Southern. ★ Confirmed from the broadcast: red helmet, red jersey, red pants, all red for First Responders Night under a 6 p.m. kickoff. Houston won 77-6 in the loudest look it owns.

September 18 at Texas Tech. ★ Confirmed from the broadcast: white helmet with the red interlocking UH, white jersey, white pants, the set Houston branded the Icy Whites. Texas Tech answered in the all black Patrick Mahomes Let's Ride uniform, black helmet over a black jersey with red numbers and black pants, so the FOX prime time window in Lubbock was pure white against pure black. Houston lost 28-26. The Cougars started the week by reminding everyone this one was a Friday.

Then the combination landed on Wednesday, and the Cougars called it icy whites for Game 3.

That was the white shell with the red interlocking UH and a red facemask, the white jersey with the red script Houston, and white pants. The timing mattered, because Texas Tech debuted the all-black Patrick Mahomes "Let's Ride" uniform in the same game, and two ranked teams gave it the stage it deserved. More: Texas Tech schedule.

September 26 at Georgia Southern. ★ Confirmed from the game photos: white helmet, white jersey, red pants, in Statesboro. Georgia Southern wore a navy helmet, navy jersey and white pants. Houston won 42-28 behind four touchdown passes and two touchdown runs from Conner Weigman, and is 3-1.

October 3 vs. UCF, noon ET on ESPN2. ★ Confirmed by Houston: Houston Blue. The program's official game preview for UCF lists a win as Houston's "second win in Houston Blue," which settles the question the Wear Houston Blue crowd theme had already answered. The set is the light blue jersey with red numbers, the white helmet with the light blue Houston script and white pants with a red stripe. UCF has its own news this week, the reveal of its 2026 Space Game set, but that one is saved for Baylor on October 30, so the Knights are expected in their road white here. The athletic department branded this one the Built By Houston Game with a Wear Houston Blue theme for the crowd, which is how the annual Houston Blue date has always been packaged. The light blue set is the city's Oilers tribute, and it has a complicated history: it debuted in the 2023 opener against UTSA, drew a cease and desist from the NFL over the Oilers marks, and came back in a redesigned form in 2024 for senior night against Baylor. Houston wore it against Texas Tech last October in the third go-round, with a fresh white collar. This will be the fourth. ★ Confirmed from the broadcast, with one correction: the jersey was the light blue Houston Blue top with red numbers and the pants were white, but the helmet was dark gray, not the white helmet we listed above. Next to UCF's white helmets in the same frame, Houston's shells are clearly dark. UCF wore its road white with a white helmet and gold pants. Houston won 27-17 to move to 4-1.

October 10 at Kansas State. ★ Confirmed from the broadcast: red helmet with the Houston script, white jersey, red pants, red at both ends of the road white for K-State's Celebrate Ag game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Kansas State wore the silver helmet, purple jersey and silver pants. More: Kansas State schedule. No. 22 Houston led 21-3 at halftime and won 35-16 to move to 5-1.

October 17 vs. Oklahoma State, 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX. ★ Confirmed by Houston: "classic home colors," red helmet with the Houston script, red jersey, white pants. Family Weekend and Hispanic Heritage day at TDECU Stadium. Oklahoma State has confirmed a white helmet with an orange facemask, white jersey and orange pants. More: Oklahoma State schedule and our Week 7 uniform guide.

October 24 at Utah. White expected, at Rice-Eccles Stadium, where Utah wears red at home. More: Utah schedule.

October 31. Bye.

November 7 vs. Cincinnati. Red expected. Homecoming and the Military Appreciation Game on the same afternoon, which is the combination most likely to produce a one-off helmet decal or a service patch rather than a new jersey. More: Cincinnati schedule.

November 13 at Colorado. White expected. A Friday night at Folsom Field, 9:15 p.m. Central, on ESPN, against a Colorado side that has a Buffs Wear Black crowd theme for the night. ESPN lists this game under November 14 because its feed runs on UTC. More: Colorado schedule.

November 21 at West Virginia. White expected, in Morgantown. More: West Virginia schedule.

November 28 vs. Baylor. Red expected. Senior Day, the last home game of the year, and the one cell on this grid with a real question mark. Houston is promoting it as a Wear Black game for the crowd, and the program has worn black jerseys as recently as 2024. Nothing has been announced on the uniform side, so we are listing red and watching. More: Baylor schedule.

The Bottom Line

Six games in, Houston is 5-1. It has worn red twice at home, shown both pants, taken the Icy Whites to Lubbock for a 28-26 loss to Texas Tech's all black Let's Ride set, brought Houston Blue back with a dark gray helmet for a 27-17 win over UCF, and paired the red helmet and red pants with the road white in a 35-16 win at Kansas State. The rest of the season sorts itself neatly: white on the road because the Big 12 says so, red at home, and one date worth circling. November 28 pairs Senior Day with a Wear Black crowd theme that the program has not explained yet. The grid above has every date, and we add a star as each uniform is confirmed on the field.

Frequently Asked Questions

What jersey is Houston wearing this week?

Houston wore the red helmet with the Houston script, white jersey and red pants at Kansas State on Saturday, October 10, confirmed from the broadcast, and won 35-16 to move to 5-1. The week before, the Cougars wore the light blue Houston Blue alternate with a dark gray helmet in a 27-17 win over UCF. Next is Oklahoma State at home on October 17, where Houston has confirmed its "classic home colors": red helmet with the Houston script, red jersey and white pants.

What are Houston's football uniforms for 2026?

A red home jersey and a white road jersey, both with a script Houston wordmark and contrast collar and sleeve trim, plus the light blue Houston Blue alternate. The helmets are a red shell with a thick white center stripe and the interlocking UH, a white shell with the red UH, and the white Houston Blue shell with a light blue Houston script. Against UCF on October 3, Houston paired the Houston Blue jersey with a dark gray helmet instead of the white shell. Nike introduced the current set in June 2025.

When is Houston wearing the Houston Blue uniforms in 2026?

Houston wore it on Saturday, October 3, at home against UCF for the Built By Houston Game, with a Wear Houston Blue crowd theme, and won 27-17. The light blue jersey and white pants were paired with a dark gray helmet rather than the white Houston Blue shell. It was the fourth time the Cougars have worn the light blue set since it debuted in 2023.

What is the Houston Blue uniform?

It is Houston's tribute to the powder blue the Houston Oilers wore, a light blue jersey with red numbers, a white helmet with a light blue Houston script and white pants with a red stripe. The original 2023 version drew a cease and desist letter from the NFL over the Oilers marks, so Houston redesigned it for 2024 and has worn the updated version since. Against UCF in 2026 it came with a dark gray helmet.

Why does ESPN list the Texas Tech game on September 19?

ESPN's schedule feed runs on UTC. A 7 p.m. Central kickoff on Friday, September 18 is already Saturday in London, so the game shows a September 19 date there. The November 13 game at Colorado has the same one-day shift for the same reason. Both are Friday night games.

How many games does Houston play in 2026?

Twelve regular season games: six at TDECU Stadium, six on the road, with a bye on October 31. Two of the road games are Friday nights, at Texas Tech on September 18 and at Colorado on November 13. The full schedule with expected uniforms is in the grid above.