Texas Football: UTEP last remaining non-conference game for 2020?

The look of the 2020 season for the Texas football program is starting to drastically change, including the shape of the non-conference slate.

The shape of the 2020 season is starting to come together for the Texas football program as we move closer and closer to the supposed kickoff in the month of August. It seems weird that the actual planned kickoff of the 2020 college football season is so close in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic since time went by so slow in the last few months.

But with the Big 12 approving their plan for the 10-game schedule for the planned 2020 season, they are starting to really shape up how the slate will look for the Longhorns. What the Big 12 is planning to do is having a nine-game conference schedule this fall, and then add one non-conference game for each of the 10 teams.

As it appears now, the Longhorns have their non-conference opponent set for the 2020 season now. They reportedly will get the UTEP Miners as their expected opponent out of the Conference-USA for their one non-conference game for the altered 2020 regular season slate.

There is no set date yet for when the Longhorns-UTEP non-conference game would be, but it was originally scheduled for Sep. 19 at home at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The other two non-conference games that Texas was supposed to have this coming season were against the South Florida Bulls at home at DKR in the opener on Sep. 5, and then the LSU Tigers on the road in Baton Rouge on Sep. 12.

The Big 12 opener for the Longhorns was originally set for Oct. 3 on the road against the Kansas State Wildcats. But that’s not a set date at this point either. The actual schedule for the Big 12 should be dropping in the coming weeks, though.

Texas did also announce their safety measures for the looming 2020 season at home games. That includes the new sanitation, cleaning, and capacity measures at DKR for this fall. There are apparently more safety precautions on the horizon for the 2020 season at home games.

These limitations will still allow student seating at general admission for the home games, but in limited groups of no more than 10. Texas will also have sanitation kiosks all over the stadium, and social distancing and mask-wearing efforts in effect.