Sun Belt 2026 schedule release: Dates, notes, and trivia
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On Friday, Mar. 13, the Sun Belt became the penultimate FBS conference to unveil its 2026 football schedule.
The 2026 Sun Belt schedule features 14 teams, although one notable change has been made since 2025. Texas State fled to the Pac-12 and that vacancy is to be filled by Louisiana Tech no later than July 1, 2027. However, there is an ongoing custody battle between Conference USA and the Sun Belt over Louisiana Tech for 2026, and Louisiana Tech is currently suing the CUSA in hopes of joining the Sun Belt for this upcoming season.
Louisiana Tech is listed on both the CUSA and Sun Belt schedules for 2026, but ultimately, only one conference will win this standoff. A similar situation was encountered in 2022 when Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss departed the CUSA for the Sun Belt. All three programs initially appeared on the 2022 CUSA schedule, but the CUSA later had to revise its slate when the Sun Belt won the custody battle. Note that Louisiana Tech’s website and social media accounts only recognize the Sun Belt schedule as of Mar. 13.
Here is the full 2026 Sun Belt schedule, featuring 14 teams including potential newcomer Louisiana Tech:
| Week | Saturday Date | App State | Arkansas State | Coastal Carolina | Georgia Southern | Georgia State | James Madison | Louisiana | Louisiana Tech | Marshall | Old Dominion | South Alabama | Southern Miss | Troy | ULM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept. 5 | vs. Maine (FCS)* | at Memphis* | at West Virginia* | vs. Charleston Southern (FCS)* | vs. NC A&T (FCS)* | vs. Liberty* | vs. Lamar (FCS)* | vs. Northwestern State (FCS)* | at Penn State* | vs. Norfolk State (FCS)* | vs. SE Louisiana (FCS)* | vs. Alcorn State (FCS)* | vs. Sam Houston* | at Mississippi State* |
| 2 | Sept. 12 | at East Carolina* | vs. West Georgia (FCS)* | vs. Fordham (FCS)* | at Clemson* | at Kennesaw State* | vs. Wagner (FCS)* | at USC* | at LSU* | vs. Middle Tennessee* | at Virginia Tech* | at Tulane* | at Auburn* | vs. Alabama State (FCS)* | at UAB* |
| 3 | Sept. 19 | vs. Charlotte* | at TCU* | at Delaware* | at Jax State* | at UCF* | at San Diego State* | vs. UAB* | at Baylor* | at Missouri State* | vs. East Carolina* | vs. Ohio* | vs. UConn* | at Missouri* | vs. SE Louisiana (FCS)* |
| 4 | Sept. 26 | at NC State* | vs. Kennesaw State* | vs. Liberty [Thu]* | vs. Houston* | vs. Northern Illinois* | at Old Dominion | at Charlotte* | BYE | vs. Gardner-Webb (FCS)* | vs. James Madison | at Kentucky* | at Tulane* | at Utah State* | vs. Florida Atlantic* |
| 5 | Oct. 3 | BYE | at Louisiana | vs. Georgia Southern | at Coastal Carolina | vs. Old Dominion | vs. Marshall | vs. Arkansas State | vs. Army* | at James Madison | at Georgia State | vs. ULM | BYE | BYE | at South Alabama |
| 6 | Oct. 10 | vs. Old Dominion | vs. South Alabama [Thu] | at Marshall | vs. James Madison | BYE | at Georgia Southern | at Louisiana Tech | vs. Louisiana | vs. Coastal Carolina | at App State | at Arkansas State [Thu] | at Troy [Tue] | vs. Southern Miss [Tue] | BYE |
| 7 | Oct. 17 | at Coastal Carolina [Fri] | at Southern Miss | vs. App State [Fri] | at Old Dominion [Thu] | at James Madison | vs. Georgia Southern | vs. Troy | at ULM | BYE | vs. Georgia Southern [Thu] | BYE | vs. Arkansas State | at Louisiana | vs. Louisiana Tech |
| 8 | Oct. 24 | vs. James Madison [Thu] | vs. Georgia State | BYE | BYE | at Arkansas State | at App State [Thu] | at Southern Miss | vs. Old Dominion | vs. South Alabama [Tue] | at Louisiana Tech | at Marshall [Tue] | vs. Louisiana | vs. ULM | at Troy |
| 9 | Oct. 31 | at Georgia Southern | BYE | at Georgia State | vs. App State | vs. Coastal Carolina | vs. Troy [Thu] | BYE | at South Alabama | at Old Dominion | vs. Marshall | vs. Louisiana Tech | at ULM | at James Madison [Thu] | vs. Southern Miss |
| 10 | Nov. 7 | vs. Georgia State | vs. ULM | vs. Old Dominion | vs. Marshall | at App State | at Southern Miss [Thu] | vs. South Alabama | at Troy | at Georgia Southern | at Coastal Carolina | at Louisiana | vs. James Madison [Thu] | vs. Louisiana Tech | at Arkansas State |
| 11 | Nov. 14 | at Marshall | at Coastal Carolina | vs. Arkansas State | at Georgia State | vs. Georgia Southern | at UConn* | at ULM [Thu] | vs. Southern Miss | vs. App State | BYE | vs. Troy | at Louisiana Tech | at South Alabama | vs. Louisiana [Thu] |
| 12 | Nov. 21 | vs. ULM | at Louisiana Tech [Thu or Fri or Sat] | at Louisiana | at Troy | at Marshall | BYE | vs. Coastal Carolina | vs. Arkansas State [Thu or Fri or Sat] | vs. Georgia State | at UConn* | at Southern Miss | vs. South Alabama | vs. Georgia Southern | at App State |
| 13 | Nov. 28 | at South Alabama | vs. Troy | at James Madison | vs. Louisiana Tech | vs. Louisiana | vs. Coastal Carolina | at Georgia State | at Georgia Southern | at ULM | vs. Southern Miss | vs. App State | at Old Dominion | at Arkansas State | vs. Marshall |
| 14 | Dec. 5 | Sun Belt Championship [Fri] | Sun Belt Championship [Fri] | Sun Belt Championship [Fri] | Sun Belt Championship [Fri] | Sun Belt Championship [Fri] | Sun Belt Championship [Fri] | Sun Belt Championship [Fri] | Sun Belt Championship [Fri] | Sun Belt Championship [Fri] | Sun Belt Championship [Fri] | Sun Belt Championship [Fri] | Sun Belt Championship [Fri] | Sun Belt Championship [Fri] | Sun Belt Championship [Fri] |
* denotes non-conference game
Sun Belt Championship Game
The 2026 Sun Belt Championship Game is slated for Friday, Dec. 4. This will be the second-straight season (and second time in history) the league airs its conference title game on a Friday night. Last year’s matchup between James Madison and Troy kicked off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The Sun Belt is the fourth league to announce a Friday night conference championship game, joining the likes of the Big 12, Conference USA, and the Pac-12. Two leagues — the MAC and Mountain West — have yet to confirm if their conference title games will be showcased Friday or Saturday during the first week of December.
Note that the Sun Belt is still the only FBS conference that operates with divisions, so the Dec. 4 championship game will pit the East Division champion vs. the West Division champion at the campus stadium of the team with the superior conference record.
Weeknight conference games
The Sun Belt hasn’t exactly built a brand off weeknight games like the Conference USA’s “Weekday CUSA” or the MAC’s “Midweek MACtion,” but you can always guarantee Sun Belt action on weeknights.
All of these matchups are expected to be televised by ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU, and the kickoff times are typically determined later in the spring. There are two Tuesday, six Thursday, and one Friday game on the docket, all occurring in the range of Week 6 to Week 11. No team hosts more than one weeknight game. James Madison is featured the most in the weeknight slate with three Thursday night affairs, all in consecutive weeks — likely an effort to nationally televise the reigning league champion and College Football Playoff qualifier.
- Tuesday, Oct. 6 — Southern Miss at Troy
- Thursday, Oct. 8 — South Alabama at Arkansas State
- Thursday, Oct. 15 — Georgia Southern at Old Dominion
- Friday, Oct. 16 — Appalachian State at Coastal Carolina
- Tuesday, Oct. 20 — South Alabama at Marshall
- Thursday, Oct. 22 — James Madison at Appalachian State
- Thursday, Oct. 29 — Troy at James Madison
- Thursday, Nov. 5 — James Madison at Southern Miss
- Thursday, Nov. 12 — Louisiana at ULM
Additionally, there is one game with a floating date. The Week 12 matchup featuring Arkansas State at Louisiana Tech will be played one on of three dates — Thursday, Nov. 19, Friday, Nov. 20, or Saturday, Nov. 21.
Championship rematch
The 2025 Sun Belt Championship Game rematch is set for Halloween. On Saturday, Oct. 31, the Troy Trojans will once again travel to Harrisonburg, VA for a clash with the James Madison Dukes. Last December, James Madison utilized a strong fourth quarter to push past Troy, 31-14. This signature victory broke a barrier for the Sun Belt, allowing the league to generate its first-ever College Football Playoff qualifier.
New head coach debuts
There are two new head coaches in the Sun Belt this year. Here are their debut games in Week 1:
- Coastal Carolina head coach Ryan Beard — Saturday, Sept. 5 at West Virginia
- Southern Miss head coach Blake Anderson — Saturday, Sept. 5 vs. Alcorn State (FCS)
Here are their conference debut games:
- Southern Miss head coach Blake Anderson — Tuesday, Oct. 6 at Troy
- Coastal Carolina head coach Ryan Beard — Saturday, Oct. 3 vs. Georgia Southern
Additionally, Louisiana Tech likely joins the fold, maintaining head coach Sonny Cumbie for a fifth season. Cumbie and the Bulldogs open Saturday, Sept. 5 vs. Northwestern State of the FCS and kick off Sun Belt play at home Oct. 10 against in-state opponent Louisiana.
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