BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Conference USA has announced its full 2026 football schedule.
After a nonconference slate that features trips to Nevada, Georgia and Indiana, as well as a home matchup with Mercyhurst, WKU Football is scheduled to close the regular season with eight CUSA matchups against Missouri State, at New Mexico State, against Liberty, at Sam Houston, at Kennesaw State, against Jax State, at Middle Tennessee and against Louisiana Tech.
WKU's full 2026 schedule can be found HERE.
CUSA's 2026 composite football schedule can be found HERE.
CUSA'S 2026 team-by-team football schedule can be found HERE.
The Hilltoppers will play the first three weeks on the road, starting off with a Sept. 5 game at Nevada. The two programs met for the first time last season in Bowling Green – a 31-16 WKU win.
WKU will follow with a Sept. 12 game at Georgia. The Hilltoppers have played Georgia once before. The Hilltoppers fell in that meeting in Athens, Georgia, to open the 2026 season.
The Hilltoppers will travel to Bloomington, Indiana, to face the 2025-26 national champion the following week. WKU and Indiana will face off on Sept. 19 at Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers hold a 5-0 lead in the all-time series. The two last met in back-to-back seasons in 2021 and 2022. Indiana won the first of those two meetings – at Houchens-Smith Stadium – 33-31, and claimed a 33-30 overtime victory over the Hilltoppers the following season in Bloomington.
WKU's home opener will be Sept. 26 against Mercyhurst. It will be the first meeting between the two programs.
WKU will open the CUSA slate and kick off its fourth year of Weekday CUSA following its nonconference schedule. The Hilltoppers are scheduled to play four non-Saturday games throughout the month of October.
That portion of the schedule starts with a Friday, Oct. 2 home matchup with Missouri State. WKU is 9-2 all-time against the Bears. The two programs met for the first time since 2006 last year during Missouri State's first year in the league, and the Hilltoppers claimed a 27-22 win in Springfield, Missouri.
WKU will follow with a trip to New Mexico State for a Wednesday, Oct. 7 game. WKU is 2-1 all-time against the Aggies. The Hilltoppers have won back-to-back meetings with New Mexico State, including a 41-28 victory in 2024 in WKU's first trip to Las Cruces, New Mexico, and a 35-16 win over the Aggies last season on Homecoming in Bowling Green.
The Hilltoppers will host Liberty on Wednesday, Oct. 14. The Flames own a 5-0 series lead over the Hilltoppers, with the most recent meeting a 38-21 Liberty win in 2024 at Houchens-Smith Stadium.
WKU is scheduled to travel to Huntsville, Texas, for an Tuesday, Oct. 27, game at Sam Houston. WKU is 3-1 all-time against the Bearkats, and the 2026 meeting will be the fourth straight year the two programs have met as CUSA foes. The Hilltoppers took down the Bearkats at home in Week 0 last season, 41-24, and claimed a 31-14 victory in their last trip to Huntsville.
The Hilltoppers will return to Saturday games for its final four contests, starting with a trip to Kennesaw State for a Nov. 7 showdown with the Owls. WKU is 1-0 all-time against Kennesaw State, and the 2026 meeting will be WKU's first at Kennesaw State.
Jax State will make the trip to WKU for a Nov. 14 game. WKU is 5-4 all-time against the Gamecocks and fell in the last meeting between the two programs in Jacksonville, Alabama, 37-34, to cap off the 2025 regular season.
WKU will make the trip to Middle Tennessee on Nov. 21. The two programs have met 75 times, and the Hilltoppers own a 39-35-1 lead in the series. WKU has wins in each of the last seven meetings and wins in 10 of the last 11 meetings. The seven consecutive wins are tied for the longest winning streak in the series – WKU also won seven consecutive games against the Blue Raiders from 1928-34. WKU Football Head Coach Tyson Helton is 7-0 against Middle Tennessee as WKU's Head Coach.
WKU is scheduled to close the regular season with a home matchup against Louisiana Tech on Saturday, Nov. 28. The Hilltoppers defeated the Bulldogs in overtime 28-27 last season in Ruston, Louisiana, to even the all-time series, 6-6.
Conference USA's 22nd annual Championship Game, pitting the top two finishers during conference play, will be played on Friday, Dec. 4, on CBS Sports Network during championship week. The kickoff time for the title game will be announced at a later date.
The 2026 CUSA alignment will feature 11 teams with no divisions. Delaware, FIU, Jax State, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, Missouri State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston and WKU comprise CUSA for the 2026 football season. The 2026 schedule complies with CUSA scheduling policies as approved by the Board of Directors.
This marks the fourth season of "Weekday CUSA," which will see 22 October league matchups played on midweek evenings. CUSA's broadcast partners will share the October weeknight football games on linear television across CBS Sports Network and the ESPN family of networks. Of last season's 18 midweek contests, nine of those games were decided by one possession, including seven decided by three or fewer points.
It is important to note that all games are subject to date changes, and some dates may move in the coming weeks to accommodate national television selections. A schedule of televised games will be released at a later date.
The Hilltoppers will host the 2026 Red & White Spring Showcase, presented by SA Recycling, at Houchens-Smith Stadium on Saturday, April 11, at noon. The event will be free for fans to attend. More information on the 2026 Red & White Spring Showcase is available HERE.
WKU Football 2026 season tickets are on sale now! Season tickets start as low as $50, and there are several options for different season ticket levels. For more information or to purchase 2026 WKU Football season tickets, click HERE. Are you interested in purchasing 2026 WKU Football tickets but don't know where to start? Fill out this form and a member of the WKU Ticket Office will be in touch soon! All season tickets require an HAF donation.
WKU FOOTBALL 2026 SCHEDULE
| DATE | OPPONENT |
| Saturday, Sept. 5 | at Nevada |
| Saturday, Sept. 12 | at Georgia |
| Saturday, Sept. 19 | at Indiana |
| Saturday, Sept. 26 | Mercyhurst |
| Friday, Oct. 2 | Missouri State* |
| Wednesday, Oct. 7 | at NM State* |
| Wednesday, Oct. 14 | Liberty* |
| Tuesday, Oct. 27 | at Sam Houston* |
| Saturday, Nov. 7 | at Kennesaw State* |
| Saturday, Nov. 14 | Jax State* |
| Saturday, Nov. 21 | at Middle Tennessee* |
| Saturday, Nov. 28 | Louisiana Tech* |
*CUSA Game
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