Big Ten Football Schedule 2026: How to watch, games dates, times, TV channels, streaming ..
The 2026 Big Ten football season features a packed schedule of conference games, major nonconference matchups and rivalry showdowns. With several of the nation’s top programs competing for a place in the College Football Playoff, every week brings important games.
The season begins with USC hosting San Jose State on August 29. The Big Ten Championship Game is scheduled for December 5.
All kickoff times are Eastern Time. Game times and television assignments are subject to change.
The 2026 Big Ten football season begins with USC hosting San Jose State on Saturday, August 29, at 3 p.m. ET.
Big Ten Week 1 officially runs from September 3 through September 6. Conference play begins with selected matchups on September 19 before the full conference schedule takes over on September 26.
Complete 2026 Big Ten Football Game Schedule, Dates, times for Every Game
Week 0
Saturday, August 29
San Jose State at USC, 3 p.m. ET, NBC or Peacock
Week 1
Thursday, September 3
UMass at Rutgers, 6 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
Eastern Illinois at Minnesota, 8 p.m. ET, Peacock
UAB at Illinois, 9 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
Friday, September 4
Indiana State at Purdue, 7 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
Toledo at Michigan State, 8 p.m. ET, FS1 and FOX One
Fresno State at USC, 9 p.m. ET, FOX and FOX One
Saturday, September 5
Ohio at Nebraska, noon ET, FS1 and FOX One
North Texas at Indiana, noon ET, FOX and FOX One
Ball State at Ohio State, 12:30 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
Boise State at Oregon, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
Marshall at Penn State, 3:30 p.m. ET, FS1 and FOX One
Northern Illinois at Iowa, 4:15 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
Western Michigan at Michigan, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC or Peacock
South Dakota State at Northwestern, 8 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
Hampton at Maryland, 8 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
UCLA at Cal, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Sunday, September 6
Washington State at Washington, 4 p.m. ET, NBC or Peacock
Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC or Peacock
Week 2
Friday, September 11
Rutgers at Boston College, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Saturday, September 12
Wake Forest at Purdue, noon ET, FS1 and FOX One
Penn State at Temple, noon ET, ESPN2
Oregon at Oklahoma State, noon ET, ESPN
Howard at Indiana, noon ET, BTN and FOX One
Oklahoma at Michigan, noon ET, FOX and FOX One
Eastern Michigan at Michigan State, 3:30 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
Maryland at UConn, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network
Mississippi State at Minnesota, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
Duke at Illinois, 3:30 p.m. ET, FS1 and FOX One
Utah State at Washington, 3:30 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
Bowling Green at Nebraska, 7 p.m. ET, FS1 and FOX One
Western Illinois at Wisconsin, 7:15 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
San Diego State at UCLA, 7:15 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
Iowa State at Iowa, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC or Peacock
Ohio State at Texas, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Louisiana at USC, 11 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
Week 3
Friday, September 18
Portland State at Oregon, 10:30 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
Saturday, September 19
Kent State at Ohio State, noon ET, FOX and FOX One
Buffalo at Penn State, noon ET, BTN and FOX One
Akron at Minnesota, noon ET, BTN and FOX One
Eastern Michigan at Wisconsin, 12:30 p.m. ET, Peacock
Southern Illinois at Illinois, 2 p.m. ET, Peacock
USC at Rutgers, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
UTEP at Michigan, 3:30 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
Western Kentucky at Indiana, 4 p.m. ET, Peacock
Northern Iowa at Iowa, 4 p.m. ET, FS1 and FOX One
Eastern Washington at Washington, 7:15 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
North Dakota at Nebraska, 7:15 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
Michigan State at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC or Peacock
Colorado at Northwestern, 7:30 p.m. ET
Virginia Tech at Maryland, 7:30 p.m. ET
Purdue at UCLA, 11 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
Week 4
Friday, September 25
Howard at Rutgers, 7 p.m. ET, BTN and FOX One
Northwestern at Indiana, 8 p.m. ET, FOX and FOX One
Saturday, September 26
Wisconsin at Penn State, TBA
UCLA at Maryland, TBA
Illinois at Ohio State, TBA
Minnesota at Washington, TBA
Notre Dame at Purdue, TBA
Iowa at Michigan, TBA
Nebraska at Michigan State, TBA
Oregon at USC, TBA
Week 5
Friday, October 2
Penn State at Northwestern, 8 p.m. ET, FOX and FOX One
Saturday, October 3
Purdue at Illinois, TBA
Ohio State at Iowa, TBA
Michigan State at Wisconsin, TBA
Washington at USC, TBA
Michigan at Minnesota, TBA
Maryland at Nebraska, TBA
Indiana at Rutgers, 8 p.m. ET
Week 6
Friday, October 9
Iowa at Washington, 9 p.m. ET, FOX or FS1 and FOX One
Saturday, October 10
Indiana at Nebraska, TBA
Ball State at Northwestern, TBA
Illinois at Michigan State, TBA
Maryland at Ohio State, TBA
USC at Penn State, TBA
UCLA at Oregon, TBA
Minnesota at Purdue, TBA
Week 7
Friday, October 16
Washington at Purdue, 8 p.m. ET, FOX and FOX One
Saturday, October 17
Penn State at Michigan, TBA
Wisconsin at UCLA, TBA
Nebraska at Oregon, TBA
Northwestern at Michigan State, TBA
Rutgers at Maryland, TBA
Ohio State at Indiana, TBA
Week 8
Saturday, October 24
Michigan State at UCLA, TBA
Rutgers at Northwestern, TBA
Indiana at Michigan, TBA
USC at Wisconsin, TBA
Iowa at Minnesota, TBA
Oregon at Illinois, TBA
Week 9
Saturday, October 31
Ohio State at USC, TBA
Minnesota at Indiana, TBA
Nevada at UCLA, TBA
Northwestern at Oregon, TBA
Illinois at Maryland, TBA
Purdue at Penn State, TBA
Wisconsin at Iowa, TBA
Michigan at Rutgers, TBA
Washington at Nebraska, TBA
Week 10
Friday, November 6
Nebraska at Illinois, 8 p.m. ET, FOX and FOX One
Saturday, November 7
Maryland at Purdue, TBA
Penn State at Washington, TBA
UCLA at Minnesota, TBA
Michigan State at Michigan, TBA
Oregon at Ohio State, TBA
Rutgers at Wisconsin, TBA
Iowa at Northwestern, TBA
Week 11
Friday, November 13
Illinois at UCLA, 9 p.m. ET, FOX and FOX One
Saturday, November 14
Michigan at Oregon, TBA
Nebraska at Rutgers, TBA
Wisconsin at Maryland, TBA
USC at Indiana, TBA
Purdue at Iowa, TBA
Minnesota at Penn State, TBA
Northwestern at Ohio State, TBA
Washington at Michigan State, TBA
Week 12
Friday, November 20
Oregon at Michigan State, 8 p.m. ET, FOX and FOX One
Saturday, November 21
Wisconsin at Purdue, TBA
UCLA at Michigan, TBA
Ohio State at Nebraska, TBA
Maryland at USC, TBA
Indiana at Washington, TBA
Rutgers at Penn State, TBA
Iowa at Illinois, TBA
Northwestern at Minnesota, TBA
Week 13
Friday, November 27
Nebraska at Iowa, noon ET, CBS
Minnesota at Wisconsin, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC or Peacock
Saturday, November 28
Michigan at Ohio State, noon ET, FOX and FOX One
Washington at Oregon, TBA
Michigan State at Rutgers, TBA
Illinois at Northwestern, TBA
USC at UCLA, TBA
Purdue at Indiana, TBA
Penn State at Maryland, TBA
Big Ten Championship Game
Saturday, December 5
Big Ten Football Championship Game, 8 p.m. ET, FOX and FOX One
Where to Watch 2026 Big Ten Football Games
Big Ten football games will be distributed across several major television networks and streaming platforms.
Fans can expect games on FOX, CBS, NBC, BTN, ESPN, ABC, FS1, ESPN2 and CBS Sports Network.
Peacock will also carry selected games throughout the season. FOX One will provide access to FOX programming and selected college football coverage.
How to Stream Big Ten Football Without Cable
Fans without traditional cable or satellite television can use streaming services that carry the relevant broadcast networks.
Options listed for the 2026 season include YouTube TV, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV. Peacock will also stream selected games.
Availability can vary by game and service, so check the individual network or streaming provider before kickoff.
How to Watch Big Ten Football for Free
Some Big Ten games can be watched without a paid television subscription when they air on local broadcast networks.
An over-the-air antenna can provide access to eligible games broadcast on FOX, including the Big Ten Championship Game when available through the local FOX affiliate.
Biggest 2026 Big Ten Football Matchups
The 2026 schedule features several high-profile games that could have major implications for the Big Ten title race and College Football Playoff picture.
Ohio State at Texas on September 12 is one of the biggest early-season nonconference games.
Oklahoma at Michigan on September 12 also gives fans a major matchup between two nationally recognized programs.
Oregon at USC on September 26 highlights the expanding Big Ten rivalry landscape.
Ohio State at USC follows on October 31 in another major conference matchup.
Oregon at Ohio State is scheduled for November 7, while Michigan at Oregon takes place November 14.
The regular season closes with Michigan at Ohio State on November 28, one of the biggest rivalry games in college football.
2026 Big Ten Football Schedule Notes
Kickoff times and television assignments for many later-season games remain TBA. The Big Ten uses its standard television selection windows to finalize many Saturday game times.
Some games could move to different kickoff times or dates based on broadcast selections.
The schedule should therefore be checked regularly as the season approaches. Updates to kickoff times and television networks can change throughout the season.
2026 Big Ten Football Schedule Summary
The 2026 Big Ten football season begins August 29 with San Jose State at USC and continues through the regular season until November 28.
The Big Ten Championship Game is scheduled for December 5 at 8 p.m. ET.
With Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, USC, Penn State, Indiana and other major programs competing across a challenging conference schedule, the 2026 season should provide plenty of high-stakes games.
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