Passport Sooners – Five Hypothetical OU Football International Trips

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College football is back! Week Zero featured the TCU Horned Frogs against the North Carolina Tar Heels, straight from Dublin, Ireland. UNC defeated TCU 15-10 and, man, it was good to see real college football back in action. 

College football’s regular season map has stretched far beyond U.S. soil since Harvard beat McGill in Montreal in 1874. Games have been played in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Ireland, Australia, Italy, Bermuda, Germany and the U.K. Oklahoma State beat Texas Tech 45–42 in Tokyo in 1988, with Barry Sanders rushing for 332 yards hours after winning the Heisman. This year features UNC and TCU in Dublin and Arizona State plays Kansas at London’s Wembley Stadium in a few weeks. 

OU has never played in an international game, however, it almost came to fruition this year, slated for the 2028 season against Houston. 

The 2028 Oklahoma – Houston game was briefly floated as a London candidate, then quickly ruled out.

Houston and Oklahoma announced a two game non-conference series in August 2023:

Houston at Oklahoma on Sept. 7, 2024 (already played; OU won 16 – 12). 

Oklahoma at Houston on Sept. 16, 2028 at TDECU Stadium. 

In late July 2026, Brian Dubiski, Houston based chairman and CEO of the new Union Jack Classic, told the Houston Business Journal he had held “initial conversations” about moving that 2028 Week 3 game to Wembley Stadium. The Union Jack Classic is a multi-year deal to stage FBS games in London; the inaugural game is Arizona State vs. Kansas at Wembley on Sept. 19, 2026. 

A person with knowledge of Houston’s decision told the Houston Chronicle on July 31, 2026 that moving a high profile home game off campus “is not being considered.” The game stays at TDECU Stadium. Dubiski said that if this particular matchup didn’t move, he still wanted Houston in the London series at some later date. 

There was no public comment from Oklahoma or Brent Venables on the idea. For OU it would have been a rare chance at an international game; for Houston it would have meant giving up a lucrative home date against a Power conference opponent. Houston kept the home game.

With the 2028 Houston game officially off the list, let’s build out and rank five hypothetical or potential international Sooner matchups. 

#5: Nebraska vs Oklahoma – Rome, Italy – When In Rome Colosseum Clash

Oklahoma leads Nebraska 47–38–3 in 88 meetings, including 1971’s Game of the Century and four No. 1 vs. No. 2 clashes. Rome is a once in a lifetime backdrop for two former Thanksgiving titans: Colosseum photos, cheap wine, and a city built for walking. Direct-ish flights from Dallas and a huge Midwest to Europe tourist pipeline make it a trip Huskers and Sooners would actually take, not just talk about.

#4: USC vs Oklahoma – Mexico City, Mexico – High Horse Classic

Mexico City puts two Hollywood and heartland brands in a 100,000 seat stadium two hours from DFW. Cheap flights, huge Sooner pockets in Texas and Southern California, and crimson at elevation turn a dusty West Coast series into a weekend destination. Not to mention, Lincoln would see OU for the first time since leaving Norman. 

#3: Penn State vs Oklahoma, Paris, France – Citrus Sugar on the Seine

OU is 2 – 0 against Penn State: 14 – 0 in the 1973 Sugar Bowl and 25 – 10 over No. 1 Penn State in the 1986 Orange Bowl. Paris already hosts OU women’s basketball in 2026, so the travel path is proven. Fashion, food, and a 40 year bowl rematch give Sooners a European trip that feels like a vacation first.

#2: Oregon vs Oklahoma, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Carnival Clash

Oklahoma owns Oregon 7 – 1, with 68 – 3 and 62 – 7 beatdowns in Norman and a 47 – 32 Alamo Bowl win in 2021. Oregon’s lone win was 34 – 33 in Eugene in 2006. Rio in September is carnival lite: beaches, steak, and a color war between two of the sport’s loudest uniforms. Connections through Dallas or Houston keep a big Sooner travel party realistic.

#1: Oklahoma State vs Oklahoma – 2033 (decade after last Bedlam) – Cancun, Mexico – Bedlam On The Beach

OU leads Bedlam 91–20–7. The last meeting was OSU’s 27–24 win in Stillwater in 2023; a 2033 Cancun game lands a decade after the series went dark. Cancun is the cheapest international beach for Oklahoma fans – short flights, all-inclusives, and a crowd that already treats spring break like a home game. Ten years of trash talk, one shoreline…and margaritas? Book it. 

If the Sooners were to schedule an international game, how likely would you be to make the trip? What location would you choose? Which opponent?

Give us your dream international Sooner matchup in the comments!

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