Big Ten Conference releases television schedule for early 2026 season football games
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference, in collaboration with partners FOX Sports, CBS Sports, NBC Sports and the Big Ten Network, announced on Wednesday kickoff times and network designations for the first three weeks of the 2026 football season, along with select additional contests.
Big Ten football will open the 2026 season riding the momentum of three consecutive College Football Playoff National Championships won by three different schools, including defending champion Indiana. Big Ten teams featured in the three most-watched college football games of the 2025 campaign and seven of the Top-10, including three games that matched conference teams against one another.
The 2026 conference calendar will culminate on Saturday, December 5, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis where No. 1 and No. 2 will meet in the Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game (FOX, 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT/5 p.m. PT). Last year’s title matchup between the Hoosiers and Ohio State drew 18,332,000 viewers on FOX — the most-watched college football conference championship game of all time.
Kickoff times and television designations not announced today will be determined and distributed according to the 12-/6-day in-season selection process. Exact Homecoming start times will be confirmed no later than 12 days in advance of kickoff.
Saturday, August 29, 2026
San Jose State at USC | NBC | 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT
Thursday, September 3, 2026
UMass at Rutgers | BTN | 6 p.m. ET
Eastern Illinois at Minnesota | Peacock | 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT
UAB at Illinois | BTN | 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT
Friday, September 4, 2026
Indiana State at Purdue | BTN | 7 p.m. ET
Toledo at Michigan State | FS1 | 8 p.m. ET
Fresno State at USC | FOX | 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT
Saturday, September 5, 2026
North Texas at Indiana | FOX | 12 p.m. ET
Ohio at Nebraska | FS1 | 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT
Ball State at Ohio State | BTN | 12:30 p.m. ET
Boise State at Oregon | CBS | 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT
Marshall at Penn State | FS1 | 3:30 p.m. ET
NIU at Iowa | BTN | 4:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. CT
Western Michigan at Michigan | NBC | 7:30 p.m. ET
Hampton at Maryland | BTN | 8 p.m. ET
South Dakota State at Northwestern | BTN | 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT
UCLA at Cal | ESPN | 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT
Sunday, September 6, 2026
Washington State at Washington | NBC | 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT
Wisconsin at Notre Dame | NBC | 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT
Friday, September 11, 2026
Rutgers at Boston College | ESPN2 | 7:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Howard at Indiana | BTN | 12 p.m. ET
Oklahoma at Michigan | FOX | 12 p.m. ET
Oregon at Oklahoma State | ESPN | 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT/9 a.m. PT
Penn State at Temple | ESPN2 | 12 p.m. ET
Wake Forest at Purdue | FS1 | 12 p.m. ET
Duke at Illinois | FS1 | 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT
Maryland at UConn | CBS Sports Network | 3:30 p.m. ET
Eastern Michigan at Michigan State | BTN | 3:30 p.m. ET
Mississippi State at Minnesota | CBS | 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT
Utah State at Washington | BTN | 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT
Bowling Green at Nebraska | FS1 | 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT
San Diego State at UCLA | BTN | 7:15 p.m. ET/4:15 p.m. PT
Western Illinois at Wisconsin | BTN | 7:15 p.m. ET/6:15 p.m. CT
Iowa State at Iowa | NBC | 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT
Ohio State at Texas | ABC | 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT
Louisiana at USC | BTN | 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT
Friday, September 18, 2026
Portland State at Oregon | BTN | 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT
Saturday, September 19, 2026
Akron at Minnesota | BTN | 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT
Kent State at Ohio State | FOX | 12 p.m. ET
Buffalo at Penn State | BTN | 12 p.m. ET
Eastern Michigan at Wisconsin | Peacock | 12:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. CT
SIU at Illinois | Peacock | 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT
UTEP at Michigan | BTN | 3:30 p.m. ET
USC at Rutgers | CBS | 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT
Western Kentucky at Indiana | Peacock | 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT
UNI at Iowa | FS1 | 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT
North Dakota at Nebraska | BTN | 7:15 p.m. ET/6:15 p.m. CT
Eastern Washington at Washington | BTN | 7:15 p.m. ET/4:15 p.m. PT
Virginia Tech at Maryland | FOX or FS1 | 7:30 p.m. ET
Michigan State at Notre Dame | NBC | 7:30 p.m. ET
Colorado at Northwestern | FOX or FS1 | 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT
Purdue at UCLA | BTN | 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT
Friday, September 25, 2026
Howard at Rutgers | BTN | 7 p.m. ET
Northwestern at Indiana | FOX | 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT
Saturday, September 26, 2026
Wisconsin at Penn State | TBD | TBD (HC)
Friday, October 2, 2026
Penn State at Northwestern | FOX | 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Purdue at Illinois | TBD | TBD (HC)
Maryland at Nebraska | TBD | TBD (HC)
Michigan State at Wisconsin | TBD | TBD (HC)
Indiana at Rutgers | TBD | 8 p.m. ET (HC)
Washington at USC | TBD | TBD (HC)
Friday, October 9, 2026
Iowa at Washington | FOX or FS1 | 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Illinois at Michigan State | TBD | TBD (HC)
Ball State at Northwestern | TBD | TBD (HC)
Maryland at Ohio State | TBD | TBD (HC)
Friday, October 16, 2026
Washington at Purdue | FOX | 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
Saturday, October 17, 2026
Rutgers at Maryland | TBD | TBD (HC)
Penn State at Michigan | TBD | TBD (HC)
Saturday, October 24, 2026
Iowa at Minnesota | TBD | TBD (HC)
Michigan State at UCLA | TBD | TBD (HC)
Saturday, October 31, 2026
Wisconsin at Iowa | TBD | TBD (HC)
Northwestern at Oregon | TBD | TBD (HC)
Minnesota at Indiana | TBD | TBD (HC)
Friday, November 6, 2026
Nebraska at Illinois | FOX | 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT
Saturday, November 7, 2026
Maryland at Purdue | TBD | TBD (HC)
Penn State at Washington | TBD | TBD (HC)
Friday, November 13, 2026
Illinois at UCLA | FOX | 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
Friday, November 20, 2026
Oregon at Michigan State | FOX | 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
Friday, November 27, 2026
Nebraska at Iowa | CBS | 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT
Minnesota at Wisconsin | NBC | 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, November 28, 2026
Michigan at Ohio State | FOX | 12 p.m. ET
Saturday, December 5, 2026
2026 Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game | FOX | 8 p.m. ET^
HC denotes Homecoming
^ Game played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.