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Before the 2026 college football season kicks off, let’s highlight some of the best nonconference games you can’t miss. These matchups could make or break your favorite team’s season, either with an impact on the College Football Playoff or bragging rights.
Here are the top nonconference games for the 2026 season.
Week 0
- North Carolina vs. TCU in Dublin Ireland
- Jacksonville State vs. North Dakota State
- Memphis at UNLV
Will Bill Belichick be feeling deja-vu in 2026? It depends if he can redeem himself from last year’s season-opener against TCU, this time across the pond in Dublin in Week 0.
The memories continue in Week 0 as Jacksonville State introduces North Dakota State to the FBS in a rematch of the 2015 FCS championship game.
Memphis at UNLV is another interesting game as both teams have hopes of winning their conference championships.
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Week 1
- Colorado at Georgia Tech
- Baylor vs. Auburn in Atlanta, Georgia
- Tulane at Duke
- Liberty at James Madison
- Boise State at Oregon
- Clemson at LSU
- Washington State at Washington
- Louisville vs. Ole Miss in Nashville, Tennessee
- Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Week 1 opens with Prime Time in primetime as Coach Deion Sanders returns to the city where he once played, Atlanta, Georgia, to face Georgia Tech. After a rough first year without his son at quarterback, Coach Prime will look to get a good start to the season against an always-tough Yellow Jacket squad.
On Saturday, a pair of debuts come to Atlanta as head coach Alex Golesh makes his debut for Auburn while quarterback DJ Lagway debuts for Baylor. We’ll also see a matchup of the defending American champion Tulane faces ACC champion Duke.
The Group of Five could have an impactful day in store as Liberty (CUSA) faces James Madison (Sun Belt) and Boise State (Pac-12) steps up to face Oregon.
The game of the week might come Saturday night as Clemson faces LSU in Lane Kiffin’s debut as head coach of the Tigers. But the action in Week 1 won’t end there as Sunday continues the fun.
Sunday will see the Apple Cup between Washington State and Washington in a great rivalry matchup and two neutral site contests in NFL stadiums. Louisville and Ole Miss will play in the first-ever Music City Kickoff in Nashville in a brand-new Tennessee Titan stadium and Notre Dame heads north to Green Bay to face Wisconsin in the home of the Packers.
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Week 2
- Ohio State at Texas
- Missouri at Kansas
- Texas State at UTSA
- Georgia State at Kennesaw State
- Iowa State at Iowa
- Tennessee at Georgia Tech
- Arizona State at Texas A&M
- Oklahoma at Michigan
- Memphis at Boise State
The preseason game of the year is again Ohio State-Texas. This year the Buckeyes visit the Longhorns after last year’s 14-7 clash. Expect more points as both Julian Sayin and Arch Manning are in their second year as the starter.
Before that game, Missouri and Kansas meet in a Friday night rivalry battle. There are a lot of rivalries in Week 2 upon taking a deeper look as Iowa and Iowa State battle for the Cy–Hawk Trophy, Georgia State heads up I-75 to face Kennesaw State and Texas State meets UTSA in an in-state battle
Elsewhere, Tennessee heads to Bobby Dodd Stadium for the first time since 1986 to face Georgia Tech. It’ll be a pivotal game for the Vols as they look to build momentum for a potential run to Atlanta in the SEC slate.
Fellow SEC teams Texas A&M and Oklahoma also face competitive nonconference teams in Week 2. The Aggies will face Big 12 contender Arizona State while the Sooners will face Michigan in a rematch from last year.
Memphis at Boise State is another game to watch as it could carry season-long implications for the American and Pac-12.
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Week 3
- Tulane at Kansas State
- Florida State at Alabama
- FIU at Florida Atlantic
All eyes will be in Tuscaloosa as Alabama looks for revenge against Florida State after the Seminoles laded a 31-17 upset last year.
Tulane and Kansas State could be another fun game as the Green Wave after just one possession separated the two schools in a 2024 battle. It could be a resume-boosting win for the American if Tulane knocks off a Big 12 team.
Finally, FIU and Florida Atlantic meet in a south Florida clash that will surely carry bragging rights in the region.
Week 4
- New Mexico at New Mexico State Week 4
An in-state nonconference battle in The Land of Enchantment takes center stage as New Mexico (Mountain West) faces New Mexico State (CUSA).
Week 5
- Boise State at Western Michigan
Boise State won the Mountain West last year. Western Michigan won the MAC last year. Even though the Broncos are now in the new-look Pac-12, this remains a matchup between two recent conference champions. That means a win for either team could give said team a leg up on the rest of the Group of Five for a playoff spot.
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Week 7
Notre Dame and BYU were the first two teams out of the 2025 CFP. If the Fighting Irish or Cougars want their fortunes to change in 2026, they’ll likely need a win in this nonconference contest.
Week 10
Miami was No. 10 and Notre Dame was No. 11 in the final CFP rankings in 2025. The difference in that one spot was a three-point win from the Hurricanes to open last season. Miami meets the Fighting Irish later in the season in 2026, but expect it to carry a similar CFP weight.
Week 13
- Georgia Tech at Georgia
- South Carolina at Clemson
Week 13 means rivalry week. In the preseason the rivalry game that appears to have the most playoff implications will be Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. The Georgia Tech-Georgia matchup has been close in each of the last three years. This game could knock a team out of the playoffs or get a team into the CFP.
Keep an eye out for South Carolina and Clemson too as both teams could be dark horse playoff candidates.
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