TCU-Grambling 2026 Football Gameday Photos

Photos by Tom C. "Midnite" Burke

TCU hosted Grambling State in a nonconference football game on Saturday, September 12, in Amon G. Carter Stadium on the TCU campus. Kickoff was at 7 pm (Central). The theme of the home-opener of the season was "Light Up The Carter," as TCU Athletics premiered its new LED lights in the stadium. The Horned Frogs won, 63-7, to even their 2026 record at 1-1.

LED lights are the latest updates to TCU’s historic Amon G. Carter Stadium, in which the first football game was played on October 11, 1930 (TCU defeated the University of Arkansas 40-0). The much-ballyhooed LED lights were underwhelming and the use of them during a period between the third and fourth quarters was bizarre and utterly bewildering to long-time football fans.

The Big 12 Conference is making every team in the conference display a Monster Energy logo on their field and wear such a logo on their uniforms, in exchange for about a million bucks per conference member.

Amon G. Carter Stadium's natural-turf field is sporting two Spectrum logos. TCU Athletics and Spectrum recently announced a multiyear partnership naming Spectrum the Official Internet, Wireless and Television Service Provider of TCU Athletics. Spectrum also was named the Presenting Sponsor of the Frog Walk, which is a pregame tradition of every TCU home football game.

(photos above and below) TCU students jammed the newly expanded student section of Amon G. Carter Stadium for the TCU-Grambling football game. TCU's 2026 fall semester enrollment is 13,241, with 11,452 undergraduate students and 1,789 graduate students. There are 2,886 first-time students and 399 transfers, for 3,285 new Horned Frogs.

The enthusiastic TCU student fans included members of group known as "The Dutchmen." Named after legendary TCU football coach Dutch Meyer, the Dutchmen, sit or stand in the front row of the student section at home football games. They lead cheers, build school traditions and support Horned Frogs athletics. Their custom overalls are embroidered with "TCU" and the members' last names. One of the group's traditions is that members do not wash their overalls after a TCU win.  

(photos above and below) Super Frog was fired up for the first home game of the 2026 football season.

Deep in the Heart of Texas!

God Bless America!

During a break in the action, TCU athletic champions from the past year were recognized, including: the women's tennis team, which won a Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship for the first time; the men's tennis team, which won the Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship, which was their 10th Big 12 regular-season or tournament title in as many completed seasons; women's basketball, which won its second consecutive Big 12 regular-season championship and advanced to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season; women's soccer, which won its second straight Big 12 regular-season championship and advanced to the NCAA final four, which is known as the College Cup; women's rifle's Rylie Passmore, who was the Patriot Rifle Conference's smallbore champion; Jayden Douglas, of men's track and field, who was crowned the Big 12 Conference's 400-meter hurdles champion and became the first male hurdler in TCU history to become an All-American; and Irene Jepkemboi, of women's track and field, who won her second consecutive Big 12 Conference championship in the javelin throw. She also was named an All-American.

Prior to the game, the 11 seniors on the football team were honored.

Edge rusher Paul Oyewale (#97, photo above) and offensive lineman Cade Bennett (#60, photo below) were two of the senior football players honored during "Senior Day" activities prior to the TCU-Grambling State football game. 

(photos above and below) The TCU Band is the largest in school history. The band performed prior to the game and glowed during a halftime performance.

(photos above and below) The TCU Showgirls had their kicks during TCU's first home football game of the 2026 season.

Grambling State's mascot was a lonely Tiger at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

(photos above and below) The “World Famed” Grambling State University Tiger Marching Band, which this year is celebrating its 100th anniversary, has performed in nearly every major stadium in the country. On September 12, the band added Amon G. Carter Stadium to its resume with a performance that entertained the game’s 37,600 broiled spectators with the type of jazzy and gyrating halftime show that seldom rocks a TCU football crowd.

The Riff-Ram video played during the game on the stadium's scoreboard featured three TCU Showgirls alumni who now are Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders: Anna Kate, a four-year veteran, Trinity, a three-year veteran, and Savanna, who is a rookie. Learn more about these three Frogs and all of the Dallas Cowboys cheeaders: here

The next home game for TCU football is Saturday, September 19, when TCU will play Arkansas State University. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 pm. It is "Family Weekend" on the TCU Campus. The game has been announced as a sellout.

TCU football's next game is against Arkansas State, on September 19, in Amon G. Carter Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 pm (Central). It is Family Weekend at TCU. The game has been announced as a sellout. The game will be televised by ESPNU.