2026 Mountain West Week 1: Game Time, TV Schedule, Odds, Predictions
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The college football season is officially back! We have real live football games all weekend long, including all 10 Mountain West teams! Plus, our first conference game of the season, and a rivalry game featuring the MW and Pac-12 matchup! Check out the Week 1 action, as there is no shortage of football to watch. Below is all the info you need for the games starting on Friday. Share your thoughts in the comments, and enjoy opening weekend, everyone!
Friday, September 4th
San Jose State vs Eastern Michigan (4:30 PM MT) | Coverage: ESPN+
UTEP vs Oklahoma (6:00 PM MT) | Coverage: SECNetwork+
Saturday, September 5th
Duquesne vs Air Force (11:00 AM MT) | Coverage: MW+
Fordham vs North Dakota State (1:30 PM MT) | Coverage: MW+
NIU vs Iowa (2:15 PM MT) | Coverage: Big Ten Network
Wyoming vs Colorado State (4:00 PM MT) | Coverage: USA
UNLV vsHawaii (8:00 PM MT) | Coverage: The CW
Central Michigan vs New Mexico (8:00 PM MT) | Coverage: FS1
Western Kentucky vs Nevada (8:30 PM MT) | Coverage: CBS Sports
Odds:
- San Jose State: +2.5, O/U 56.5
- UTEP: +41.5, O/U 51.5
- Air Force: -28.5, O/U 56.5
- North Dakota State: -38.5, O/U 56.5
- NIU: Odds not available
- Wyoming: +2.5, O/U 46.5
- UNLV/Hawaii: -3.5 UNLV, O/U 56.5
- New Mexico: -10.5, O/U 46.5
- Nevada: +2.5, O/U 52.5
(Odds/lines subject to change. Visit FanDuel for more information)
Game Previews:
- Mountain West
What to Watch For:
- San Jose State: The Spartans found their quarterback, but now need to find most of the rest of their game. This game is a much more even test, and if they play as they did at the end of the last game, San Jose State should come away with a victory in this contest.
- Air Force: The Falcons start the season with their traditional FCS home game. If all is going well, the offense picks up where they left off and scores with little issue. That will make for some highlight-worthy runs and maybe even a few pass plays. But the real thing to look for is how the defense, especially the secondary, looks in 2026.
- North Dakota State: The Bison had a fantastic debut showing in Week 0 and now look to continue with an encore. They will want to avoid a hangover, but North Dakota State should have no issue taking care of this game easily.
- NIU: Playing a Big Ten team to start the year is not ideal for the Huskies, but it could be a lot worse than the Hawkeyes. NIU does have some recent success pulling off upsets, but this game will really be about how hard they play as they start the year with an interim coach.
- Wyoming: It’s nice to see a classic rivalry continuing, and the bad blood of MW/PAC makes it even better. The Cowboys look to start the year on a positive offensive note, so all eyes will be on their quarterback situation. But if they can run the ball, they should be able to put off a Border War win to start the year.
- UNLV/Hawaii: In the first Mountain West conference game of the season, arguably the two most dynamic offenses will be featured. It will be a chance to see if the UNLV offense can rebound from Week 0, as there were some growing pains on display. Meanwhile, Hawaii should be firing on all cylinders after figuring things out towards the end of the last game. Expect this to be a high-scoring matchup.
- New Mexico: The Lobos hope to pick up where they left off and should have an easy time with Central Michigan (although they beat a MW team last year). They will likely lean on a running attack in the early going, but improvement at quarterback will be crucial if they hope to achieve their 2026 dreams.
- Nevada: The Wolf Pack needs to get off to a good start in the early going before their schedule gets harder, and a win against Western Kentucky would go a long way. Nevada lost pretty handily in this game last year, so if the team is different after a year of development and transfer infusions, it will be evident from the get-go. Otherwise, it could be a long season.
- UTEP: The Miners will have a rough opening game this season, but at least they will get a nice paycheck for it. Don’t expect to learn much from this one, but it will be encouraging if they can keep it from turning into a laugher for a quarter or two.
Join the discussion before, during, and after the games by sharing your thoughts on these questions and more in the comments below.
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