The Sonny Dykes era officially starts on Sept. 3.

That’s when TCU football will open its 2022 season at Colorado. But the game most fans circled is three weeks later when TCU travels to SMU for the 101st meeting of the Iron Skillet in Dallas.

Tensions will be high that week as Dykes spent the past four seasons leading SMU before leaving to take over rival TCU.

Between those nonconference matchups is a game against Tarleton State on Sept. 10 in Fort Worth. That will be the Frogs’ home opener.

TCU has never faced Colorado or Tarleton in its history. TCU leads the all-time series against SMU 51-42-7.

The school released its entire schedule Wednesday as the Big 12 finalized conference games for next season. For the second consecutive season, the Frogs will not have a bye during conference play.

TCU opens Big 12 play against Oklahoma on Oct. 1 followed by a road game at Kansas on Oct. 8. The Frogs then have back-to-back home games against Oklahoma State (Oct. 15) and Kansas State (Oct. 22) before a road trip to West Virginia (Oct. 29).

November features home games against Texas Tech (Nov. 5) and Iowa State (Nov. 26) and road games at Texas (Nov. 12) and Baylor (Nov. 19).

TCU is coming off a 5-7 season in which it parted ways with the school’s all-time winningest coach Gary Patterson on Oct. 31. Jerry Kill served as interim coach for the final four games before the school announced Dykes as its next head coach on Tuesday.

Among the notable Big 12 games scheduled for next season is a rematch of this year’s championship game between Oklahoma State at Baylor on Oct. 1 in Waco; Oklahoma and Texas in the Red River Showdown on Oct. 8 in Dallas; and Oklahoma State at Oklahoma in the Bedlam Series on Nov. 19.

The Big 12 championship game is scheduled for Dec. 3 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Here’s the full TCU schedule —

Sept. 3: at Colorado

Sept. 10: Tarleton

Sept. 24: at SMU

Oct. 1: Oklahoma

Oct. 8: at Kansas

Oct. 15: Oklahoma State

Oct. 22: Kansas State

Oct. 29: at West Virginia

Nov. 5: Texas Tech

Nov. 12: at Texas

Nov. 19: at Baylor

Nov. 26: Iowa State

This story was originally published December 1, 2021 at 4:36 PM.

Drew Davison

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Drew Davison was a TCU and Big 12 sports writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram until 2022. He covered everything in DFW from Rangers to Cowboys to motor sports.