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UCF Knights Football 2026 schedule released: See lineup

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Published  January 21, 2026 7:29pm EST
UCF Knights Football News
FOX 35 Orlando

The Brief

    • The Big 12 unveiled its 2026 football schedule, featuring nine conference games per team and two international matchups in Dublin and London.
    • The Big 12 championship will be played Friday, Dec. 4, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, airing on ABC.
    • UCF opens with three non-conference games, hosts key home dates including Homecoming vs. BYU, and awaits TV and kickoff assignments.

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Big 12 Conference released its 2026 football schedule on Tuesday, with all 16 members set to play nine conference games. 

The schedule features two games in Europe as part of the league’s global expansion. The Aer Lingus College Football Classic will open the international slate Aug. 29, when TCU faces North Carolina in Dublin, Ireland. In Week 3, Arizona State and Kansas will meet in the Union Jack Classic at Wembley Stadium in London on Sept. 19.

The Big 12 Football Championship Game will be played Friday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. CT at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The game will air on ABC and marks the start of a Friday-Saturday rotation aimed at increasing national exposure.

UCF Football 2026 schedule

Local perspective:

UCF will play three non-conference games at the start of the season, including Bethune-Cookman (SWAC), Pittsburgh (ACC), and Georgia State (Sun Belt). 

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Some highlights include "Family Weekend," on Sept. 19, when the Knights host Georgia State, UCF will have a BYE weekend on Oct. 17, and Homecoming on Oct. 24, when the Knights host BYU. UCF will await the decision of the conference and its television partners before designating the date of the Mission X Space Game. 

Every game except the home opener is scheduled for Saturday, though select contests may be moved. Below is the complete UCF Football schedule for 2026.

  • Week 1 (Thursday, Sept. 3): Bethune-Cookman at Acrisure Bounce House
  • Week 2 (Saturday, Sept. 12): at Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pa.
  • Week 3 (Saturday, Sept. 19): Georgia State (Family Weekend) at Acrisure Bounce House
  • Week 4 (Saturday, Sept. 26): TCU* at Acrisure Bounce House
  • Week 5 (Saturday, Oct. 3): at Houston* in Houston, Texas
  • Week 6 (Saturday, Oct. 10): at Oklahoma State* in Stillwater, Okla.
  • Week 7 (Saturday, Oct. 17): BYE
  • Week 8 (Saturday, Oct. 24): BYU* (Homecoming) at Acrisure Bounce House
  • Week 9 (Saturday, Oct. 31): Baylor* at Acrisure Bounce House
  • Week 10 (Saturday, Nov. 7): at Kansas* in Lawrence, Kan.
  • Week 11 (Saturday, Nov. 14): Arizona State* at Acrisure Bounce House
  • Week 12 (Saturday, Nov. 21): Iowa State* at Acrisure Bounce House
  • Week 13 (Saturday, Nov. 28): at Colorado* in Boulder, Colo.
  • Week 14 (Friday, Dec. 4): Big 12 Football Championship at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas

*Indicates Big 12 Conference game

TV schedule

Where To Watch :

Television partners ESPN, FOX Sports and TNT Sports will announce kickoff times and network assignments for the first three weeks of the season at a later date. 

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The conference also said some Saturday games may be moved to Fridays, other special dates or Black Friday, with additional details to be announced in the coming weeks.

The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Big 12 Conference and the University of Central Florida.

 

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