Fans of Texas and Oklahoma football can sleep in this upcoming season, since it appears the Red River rivals will kick things off later in the afternoon.

According to veteran college football reporter Brett McMurphy of Action Network, the first showdown between Texas and Oklahoma as SEC rivals will kick off at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 12 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. The game had been played at 11 a.m. in all but two of the previous 16 seasons, but the rivals regularly met in the afternoon for much of the series. Prior to 2008, there had only been six kickoffs before noon since 1950.

More: Texas vs. OU: Here's our best gameday photos from the 119th Red River Rivalry in Dallas

Also since 1950, the teams have never played a night game at the Cotton Bowl.

The move doesn't come as a surprise since Texas and Oklahoma officially join the SEC on July 1. The 11 a.m. time slot had been ABC's only national window while using the 2:30 p.m. slot as regional windows. In the expanded SEC, ESPN will use the 2:30 p.m. time slot as its prime window.

More: What are the 10 most memorable moments in the football rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma?

Texas leads the overall series 63-51-5. Last season, Oklahoma upset Texas 34-30.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Report: Texas, Oklahoma football will kick off at 2:30 p.m. in 2024