FARMINGTON, Utah — The Big Sky Conference announced kickoff times for the 2026 football league schedule Tuesday as anticipation builds for another season on the gridiron.
The Big Sky enters its 64th season as a conference in 2026 and welcomes a 13-team football lineup following the additions of Southern Utah and Utah Tech. The Big Sky again features a challenging slate that will test a number of championship contenders as the league looks to capture back-to-back national championships following Montana State's title this past January.
The 2026 campaign officially begins on Friday, Aug. 28, with a pair of conference games opening the new season in Week 0. The 2026 schedule will feature 12 teams in conference action during Week 0 to begin the season, a first for the league.
Playing conference games in Week 0 also gives flexibility for league teams to honor non-conference game contracts throughout the season.
Teams will alternate between five and four home games each season due to the odd number of conference games during the upcoming scheduling cycle. The odd number of conference games also means that at least one team each week will not be in conference play during the season.
For the first time in league history, five regular-season Big Sky football conference games were selected for national linear distribution by ESPN's family of networks.
Four of the five games will have 8:30 p.m. Mountain kickoff times, while the first linear game of the season, featuring Idaho traveling to San Luis Obispo, Calif., to take on Cal Poly, is set for an 8 p.m. Mountain kickoff on ESPN.
2026 Big Sky Conference Football Schedule
Conference games only (all times Mountain)
Friday, Aug. 28
- Weber State at Northern Colorado | 7:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Idaho at Cal Poly | 8:00 p.m. MT (ESPN)
Saturday, Aug. 29
- UC Davis at Portland State | 1:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Eastern Washington at Northern Arizona | 3:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Southern Utah at Montana | 7:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/Scripps Sports)
- Montana State at Utah Tech | 8:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/Scripps Sports)
Saturday, Sept. 26
- Cal Poly at Eastern Washington | 5:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/SWX)
- Utah Tech at Northern Colorado | 6:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Idaho State at Southern Utah | 6:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Portland State at Weber State | 6:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Montana at UC Davis | 8:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/Scripps Sports)
- Northern Arizona at Montana State | 8:30 p.m. MT (ESPN2)
Friday, Oct. 2
- Montana State at Idaho | 8:30 p.m. MT (ESPN)
Saturday, Oct. 3
- Northern Colorado at Montana | 2:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/Scripps Sports)
- Weber State at Cal Poly | 6:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Northern Arizona at Idaho State | 6:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Southern Utah at Utah Tech | 6:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Eastern Washington at UC Davis | 8:30 p.m. MT (ESPN2)
Saturday, Oct. 10
- Idaho at Weber State | 1:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Utah Tech at Portland State | 2:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Montana at Northern Arizona | 3:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/Scripps Sports)
- Cal Poly at Idaho State | 4:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Northern Colorado at Eastern Washington | 5:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/SWX)
Saturday, Oct. 17
- Idaho at Montana | 1:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/Scripps Sports)
- Idaho State at Weber State | 1:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Montana State at Eastern Washington | 5:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/Scripps Sports)
- Portland State at Northern Arizona | 5:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Cal Poly at Northern Colorado | 6:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- UC Davis at Southern Utah | 6:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Saturday, Oct. 24
- Weber State at Montana State | 1:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/Scripps Sports)
- Utah Tech at Cal Poly | 3:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Southern Utah at Idaho | 3:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/SWX)
- Portland State at Idaho State | 4:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Northern Colorado at UC Davis | 5:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/KQCA My 58)
Saturday, Oct. 31
- Cal Poly at Montana State | 1:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/Scripps Sports)
- Northern Arizona at Southern Utah | 1:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Idaho State at Utah Tech | 1:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- UC Davis at Weber State | 1:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Montana at Eastern Washington | 2:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/Scripps Sports)
- Idaho at Portland State | 2:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Saturday, Nov. 7
- Portland State at Montana | 1:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/Scripps Sports)
- Northern Colorado at Southern Utah | 1:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Northern Arizona at Cal Poly | 3:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Eastern Washington at Idaho | 3:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/SWX)
- Montana State at Idaho State | 4:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/Scripps Sports)
- Utah Tech at UC Davis | 5:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/KQCA My 58)
Friday, Nov. 13
- Southern Utah at Portland State | 8:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Saturday, Nov. 14
- Montana State at Northern Colorado | 12:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/Scripps Sports)
- UC Davis at Idaho | 2:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/SWX)
- Weber State at Northern Arizona | 2:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Eastern Washington at Utah Tech | 2:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Idaho State at Montana | 8:30 p.m. MT (ESPN Network TBD)
Saturday, Nov. 21
- Montana at Montana State | 12:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/Scripps Sports)
- Utah Tech at Weber State | 1:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Portland State at Eastern Washington | 2:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/SWX)
- Northern Colorado at Northern Arizona | 2:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
- Cal Poly at UC Davis | 2:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/KQCA My 58)
- Idaho at Idaho State | 4:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
