Taking pride in not scheduling "cupcake" opponents has been a point of emphasis for the Texas Longhorns over the last few years, and especially since joining the SEC.
That much was definitively backed up when head football coach Steve Sarkisian said that the Horns weren't backing away from anything, not even their big-time matchups against the Big Ten's Ohio State Buckeyes or Michigan Wolverines.
However, when asked about another non-conference matchup, Texas Athletic Director Chris Del Conte didn't stand by the Longhorns' future schedules quite as adamantly.
"They're tentatively on the schedule right now," Del Conte said about Texas's future home-and-home matchups against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Longhorns must stick with Notre Dame home-and-home series
Immediately, to the surprise of just about no one, Notre Dame fans started calling out Del Conte and the Horns for being scared of facing the powerhouse independent.
The Horns and the Fighting Irish are scheduled to play their series over the 2028 and 2029 seasons, which was still well over two years away when Del Conte made his statement.
Of course, over two years, just about the entirety of the sport could change with how college football works these days. However, in order not to look like some of the biggest hypocrites in the game, the Longhorns can't back away from their scheduled
Texas AD Chris Del Conte on if Notre Dame will stay on the schedule:
— Orangebloods.com (@orangebloods_) May 27, 2026
“They’re tentatively on the schedule right now.”
The Longhorns are scheduled to do a home-and-home series with the Irish in 2028 & 2029 🐂
🔗read more here🔗: https://t.co/dCmRrWujPg pic.twitter.com/ekJdhkCULK
Not to mention the fact that it would make for a great opportunity for the Horns (as an individual team and member of the SEC) to silence Notre Dame fans and the program itself about the Irish's argument that they are just as competitive as a team in a powerhouse conference.
Also read: Chris Del Conte is the best AD in the nation, secures 3rd Directors Cup with Texas
Texas could easily pay a cupcake team to play them in non-conference play, replacing the slot in the Horns' schedule if they cancelled their series against the Fighting Irish.
But if Texas wants to stand by what it has said in the past, Del Conte and the Longhorns cannot back away from this matchup.
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