Select 2026 American kickoff times, networks revealed

Select 2026 American kickoff times, networks revealed

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Select 2026 American kickoff times, networks revealed
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 27: DJ Johnson Jr. #11 and Ryheem Craig #5 of the East Carolina Pirates celebrate a sack in the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the 2025 Go Bowling Military Bowl at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on December 27, 2025 in Annapolis, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The American Conference revealed its 2026 schedule on Thursday, Feb. 26.

Now that schedule is more clear. Networks and kickoff times for the first month of the season, and for select additional games, were revealed Wednesday. Here’s a rundown of what we know about the 2026 American Conference Schedule, from the Week 0 Memphis-UNLV showdown through the Week 15 Army-Navy Game:

Week 0

Saturday, Aug. 29

  • Memphis at UNLV — 10 p.m. ET (FOX)

Week 1

Thursday, Sept. 3

  • UAB at Illinois — 9 p.m. ET (Big Ten Network)

Saturday, Sept. 5

  • East Carolina at Alabama — 12 p.m. ET (ABC)
  • North Texas at Indiana — 12 p.m. ET (FOX)
  • Bryant (FCS) at Army — 12 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)
  • Rhode Island (FCS) at Temple — 2 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • Tulane at Duke — 3:30 p.m. ET (ACC Network)
  • Towson (FCS) at Navy — 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)
  • The Citadel (FCS) at Charlotte — 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • UTRGV (FCS) at UTSA — 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • Oklahoma State at Tulsa — 3:45 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
  • Arkansas State at Memphis — 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • Houston Christian (FCS) at Rice — 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • FIU at South Florida — 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • Florida Atlantic at Florida — 7:45 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Week 2

Saturday, Sept. 12

  • South Florida at Army — 12 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)
  • Penn State at Temple — 12 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
  • Appalachian State at East Carolina — 12 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
  • Rice at Notre Dame — 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)
  • UTSA at Texas State — 3:30 p.m. ET (The CW)
  • ULM at UAB — 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • UNLV at North Texas — 3:45 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
  • Memphis at Boise State — 6 p.m. ET (USA)
  • South Alabama at Tulane — 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • Tulsa at Sam Houston — 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • Navy at Florida Atlantic — 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU or ESPN+)
  • Charlotte at Ole Miss — 7:45 p.m. ET (ESPN2 or SEC Network)

Week 3

Saturday, Sept. 19

  • Tulane at Kansas State — 12 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
  • North Texas at Texas State — 12 p.m. ET (USA)
  • Temple at Toledo — 3 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)
  • Charlotte at Appalachian State — 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • East Carolina at Old Dominion — 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • FIU at Florida Atlantic — 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • UT Martin (FCS) at Memphis — 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • Western Michigan at Rice — 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • Delaware State (FCS) at South Florida — 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • UTSA at Texas — 8 p.m. ET (SEC Network+)
  • UAB at Louisiana — 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • East Texas A&M (FCS) at Tulsa — 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Remaining weeks

Friday, Sept. 25

  • Army at Temple — 4 p.m. ET (ESPN)
  • Navy at UAB — 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Saturday, Sept. 26

  • NC Central (FCS) at East Carolina — 4 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • Houston Christian (FCS) at North Texas — 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • Rice at Fresno State — 10 p.m. ET (The CW)

Thursday, Oct. 1

  • North Texas at Tulsa — 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Saturday, Oct. 3

  • Navy at Air Force — 12 p.m. ET (CBS)
  • Texas Southern (FCS) at Florida Atlantic — 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • Samford (FCS) at UAB — TBD (ESPN+)

Thursday, Oct. 8

  • South Florida at UTSA — 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN or ESPN2)

Saturday, Oct. 10

  • Tulane at Army — 12 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)
  • Tulsa at Navy — 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)

Thursday, Oct. 15

  • East Carolina at UAB — 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN or ESPN2)

Friday, Oct. 16

  • Memphis at Tulane — 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Saturday, Oct. 17

  • Florida Atlantic at Army — 12 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)

Thursday, Oct. 22

  • East Carolina at Memphis — 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Friday, Oct. 23

  • Army at Tulsa — 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Saturday, Oct. 24

  • North Texas at Navy — 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)

Thursday, Oct. 29

  • Florida Atlantic at North Texas — 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN or ESPN2)

Friday, Oct. 30

  • Tulane at Charlotte — 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Saturday, Oct. 31

  • Notre Dame vs. Navy (Foxborough, MA) — 12 p.m. ET (ABC or ESPN)

Thursday, Nov. 5

  • UTSA at Florida Atlantic — 8 p.m. ET (ESPN or ESPN2)

Friday, Nov. 6

  • South Florida at East Carolina — 8 p.m. ET (ESPN or ESPN2)

Saturday, Nov. 7

  • Temple at Navy — 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)
  • Air Force at Army — 7:30 p.m. ET (CBS)

Thursday, Nov. 12

  • Memphis at South Florida — 8 p.m. ET (ESPN or ESPN2)

Thursday, Nov. 19

  • Rice at Temple — 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Saturday, Nov. 21

  • Memphis at Navy — 12 p.m. ET (TBD)
  • East Carolina at Army — 12 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)

Saturday, Dec. 5

  • American Conference Championship Game — 8 p.m. ET (ABC)

Saturday, Dec. 12

  • Army vs. Navy (East Rutherford, NJ) — 3 p.m. ET (CBS)

Schedule notes

  • The American will have two games air on ESPN on Friday, Nov. 27 — one at 12 p.m. ET and another at 3:30 p.m. ET. The games that fill these slots will be two of the following: Florida Atlantic at East Carolina, Temple at Memphis, Tulane at South Florida, or Tulsa at UTSA. The remaining two games will kick off Saturday, Nov. 28 with times and networks TBD. These games will be subject to a 12-day selection process.
  • Two schedule changes have been made since the American’s Feb. 26 schedule release. The Week 1 matchup between UAB and Illinois in Champaign, IL has been moved from Saturday, Sept. 5 to Thursday, Sept. 3. It will kick off at 9 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network and is one of four FBS vs. FBS matchups on the first Thursday night of the season. Also, the Week 4 matchup between Army and Temple in Philadelphia, PA has been moved from Saturday, Sept. 25 to Friday, Sept. 24. It will kick off at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN.
  • Speaking of the Sept. 24 Army at Temple game, it kicks off at the unorthodox time of a 4 p.m. ET on a Friday. This is the first leg of an ESPN triple-header, with Navy at UAB kicking off at 7 p.m. ET and Clemson at California serving as the 10:30 p.m. ET nightcap. While networks typically allot 3.5 hours of time for a college football game, only three hours separate the 4 p.m. ET Army-Temple kickoff from the 7 p.m. ET Navy-UAB kickoff on ESPN — likely due to the fast-paced nature of typical Army games due to their run-heavy tendencies.
  • There are eight confirmed American games on network television for the 2026 season. In Week 0, Memphis battles UNLV in a late-night FOX kickoff. In Week 1, East Carolina faces Alabama on ABC, while North Texas opens against reigning champion Indiana on FOX with the Big Noon Kickoff crew in town. In Week 2, Rice appears on NBC for a trip to Notre Dame. Additionally, CBS picks up all three legs of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy — Navy at Air Force on Oct. 3, Air Force at Army on Nov. 7, and the Army-Navy Game on Dec. 12. Lastly, the American Conference Championship remains on ABC for the 12th-straight season. The conference could pick up a ninth network television game if the Oct. 31 matchup between Navy and Notre Dame falls on ABC (the game is currently slated for ABC or ESPN).
  • The American has eight Thursday night and six Friday night conference matchups in 2026. All 14 of these games will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2.
  • The American Conference Championship Game is slated for an 8 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC on Saturday, Dec. 5. This is the first American title game on a Saturday since 2023 and the first on Saturday night since 2020. It takes the ACC Championship’s usual timeslot on ABC and will run head-to-head against the Big Ten Championship Game on FOX.

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