Texas Bowl Tickets

Texas Bowl Tickets 2026: December 31 at NRG Stadium, Big 12 vs SEC

The 2026 Texas Bowl is scheduled for Thursday, December 31, 2026 at NRG Stadium in Houston, kicking off at 6:30pm Central on ESPN. It is the twentieth edition of the game, played under the Kinder's Texas Bowl name, and it matches a Big 12 team against an SEC team. Tickets are on sale above; until selection Sunday you are buying before the teams are known, and the listing updates automatically through selection day and up to kickoff. The game page shows every seat on the NRG Stadium chart sorted by price.

When the Texas Bowl matchup is announced

Bowl pairings are set after the conference championship games, on the first Sunday of December. The Texas Bowl takes a Big 12 team and an SEC team from the pool left after the College Football Playoff and the higher bowl tie-ins are filled. Until then, every ticket on this page is for the game itself, whoever plays. That is the main thing to know about buying early: you are buying the date and the seat, not the teams.

How Texas Bowl prices move

• Before the matchup, prices are at their flattest. Sellers list to the stadium rather than the teams, and the cheapest upper-deck tickets of the whole cycle are usually listed in November.
• On selection Sunday, the matchup decides everything. A Texas school on either side, or Texas A&M, LSU or Oklahoma within driving distance, pushes prices up within hours. Two out-of-state teams and prices barely move.
• In the final week, prices for a game without a regional draw fall as travelling fans' allotments come back onto the market. For a game with a Texas or nearby SEC team, they hold or rise toward kickoff.

Where the cheap seats are at NRG Stadium

NRG Stadium's 500 level is the cheapest, and the upper corners and end zones in that level are the lowest-priced tickets listed for the game. Upper-level sideline seats cost a little more and keep a full view of the field. The 300 level sits in the middle of the range; the 100-level sidelines, club seats and the lower end zones behind each team's bench side are the most expensive, and the lower bowl on the side of the team with the bigger travelling support fills first. The roof is usually closed for the bowl, so weather is not a factor in seat choice. NRG holds about 71,500 for football.

Frequently Asked Questions

• When is the 2026 Texas Bowl? Thursday, December 31, 2026 at NRG Stadium in Houston, 6:30pm Central.
• Who is playing in the Texas Bowl? A Big 12 team against an SEC team, announced after the conference championship games on the first Sunday of December. Check the event listing above after selection Sunday for the teams.
• How much are Texas Bowl tickets? Upper-level corner seats bought before the matchup is announced are the cheapest; lower sideline and club seats for a game with a Texas team are the most expensive. The lowest current price is shown above.
• Should I buy before the teams are announced? If you want cheap upper-deck seats and will go whoever plays, yes: those are rarely cheaper later. If you are waiting for a specific team, wait for selection Sunday and accept the price that comes with it.
• Is the Texas Bowl on New Year's Eve every year? It has rotated between late December dates. The 2026 game is on December 31; the date for future years is set by the bowl and ESPN each season.