Michigan's 2027 schedule has been pushed up by a week, with the Wolverines' opener against Buffalo now set for Aug. 28 and the road game at Texas moved from Sept. 11 to Sept. 4.
The change comes after what had recently been known as Week 0 was eliminated, with the entire Football Bowl Subdivision now set to open before Labor Day weekend 2027. That means Michigan's nonconference calendar has been reshuffled, but the trip to Austin remains in place.
Tony Garcia reported that there had been concern earlier this week after a report suggested U-M's game against Eastern Michigan might have been moved into the Texas date. Instead, a team spokesman told the Free Press that it was simply the required schedule shuffling caused by the season moving up, and that the matchup in Austin would go ahead as scheduled.
Why the Texas date changed
The key point is straightforward: Michigan's schedule changed because the FBS calendar changed. With the sport now opening earlier, schools had to adjust their own nonconference dates to fit the revised timing.
For Michigan, that means the Buffalo game comes first on Aug. 28, followed by the trip to Texas on Sept. 4, and then Eastern Michigan in Ann Arbor on Sept. 11. The sequence keeps the Wolverines' three-game nonconference slate intact, but compresses it slightly at the front end.
What it means for Michigan and Texas
The Texas game remains one of the most notable fixtures on Michigan's 2027 schedule. It is part of the home-and-home series between Michigan and Texas, and the adjustment only alters when the game is played, not whether it will happen.
That matters because the matchup has already carried extra weight in recent years. Texas beat Michigan 31-12 in Ann Arbor in Week 2 in 2024, then won again 41-27 in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando on Dec. 31, 2025.
So while this is a schedule update rather than a change in opponent, it still shifts the tone of Michigan's early-season build-up. The Wolverines will now have a week less before one of their biggest nonconference tests, and the Longhorns game arrives sooner than originally planned.
For now, though, the message is simple: the Michigan schedule has been moved up, the Texas date has been brought forward to Sept. 4, and the full nonconference plan remains on track.
