Houston will be the backdrop for a highly anticipated HBCU football matchup this fall when Texas Southern University hosts Southern University for its Homecoming game at Reliant Stadium on Saturday, October 24.

Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT, with the Week 8 Southwestern Athletic Conference matchup bringing two longtime rivals together on one of Houston’s biggest sports stages.

The October meeting will mark the 19th contest between Texas Southern and Southern. The Tigers enter the matchup with the most recent bragging rights after defeating the Jaguars 35-30 during the 2025 season. (SI)

Texas Southern heads into the 2026 season following a 6-5 overall finish and a 5-3 record in SWAC play. The 2025 campaign marked the program’s first winning season since 2000, giving the Tigers momentum heading into the new season under Head Coach Cris Dishman. (SI)

Dishman, a former NFL player, is entering his third season leading Texas Southern. The Tigers will open the 2026 campaign at W.W. Thorne Stadium before moving to Reliant Stadium for the Homecoming matchup against Southern.

Southern will enter the game under the leadership of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, who was named the Jaguars’ 22nd head football coach on December 1, 2025. The position marks Faulk’s first head coaching opportunity. 

The Jaguars finished the 2025 season 2-10 overall and 1-7 in SWAC play. 

The coaching matchup adds another layer to the October 24 showdown, with two former NFL players leading opposing SWAC programs. Faulk brings a Hall of Fame playing career to Southern, while Dishman enters the season looking to build on Texas Southern’s first winning campaign in more than two decades.

For Texas Southern, the game will be a centerpiece of Homecoming, bringing Tigers fans to Reliant Stadium for an afternoon that combines college football with the traditions surrounding HBCU athletics.

The matchup will also give Houston football fans an opportunity to see two SWAC programs compete in a major Houston venue, with Texas Southern looking to defend its recent advantage over Southern and the Jaguars beginning a new era under Faulk.

With a historic rivalry, two former NFL players at the helm and Texas Southern’s Homecoming on the calendar, the October 24 matchup is positioned to be one of the notable HBCU football events on Houston’s 2026 sports calendar.

Tickets are available through Lone Star Sports & Entertainment. More information about the game is available at www.lsse.net.