The 2026 Big Ten football season is loaded with marquee matchups, rivalry games and a conference that has won the last three College Football Playoff titles. Here's your complete guide to the schedule, including dates, kickoff times, TV channels and how to watch every game. When Does the 2026 Big Ten Football Season Start?
USC opens the season first, hosting San Jose State on Saturday, Aug. 29, at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.
Big Ten Week 1 runs from Thursday, Sept. 3 through Sunday, Sept. 6, with 16 conference schools in action across four days.
Conference play begins in earnest later in September, with two Big Ten matchups Saturday, Sept. 19, before the rest of the league opens conference play Saturday, Sept. 26.
2026 Big Ten Schedule (All times Eastern) Dates, kickoff times and TV assignments are subject to change. Games without an announced kickoff time or network are listed as TBA. Week 0 Saturday, Aug.
29 Week 1 Thursday, Sept. 3 Friday, Sept. 4 Saturday, Sept.
5 Sunday, Sept. 6 Week 2 Friday, Sept. 11 Saturday, Sept.
12 Week 3 Friday, Sept. 18 Saturday, Sept. 19 Week 4 Friday, Sept.
25 Saturday, Sept. 26 Week 5 Friday, Oct. 2 Saturday, Oct.
3 Week 6 Friday, Oct. 9 Saturday, Oct. 10 Week 7 Friday, Oct.
16 Saturday, Oct. 17 Week 8 Saturday, Oct. 24 Week 9 Saturday, Oct.
31 Week 10 Friday, Nov. 6 Saturday, Nov. 7 Week 11 Friday, Nov.
13 Saturday, Nov. 14 Week 12 Friday, Nov. 20 Saturday, Nov.
21 Week 13 Friday, Nov. 27 Saturday, Nov. 28 Big Ten Championship Saturday, Dec.
5 Where Can I Watch Big Ten Football Games? What Channel Will They Be On? Big Ten football games are spread across FOX, CBS, NBC, ESPN, ABC and BTN throughout the season, with additional games designated for FS1, ESPN2 and CBS Sports Network.
FOX carries a significant slate of games all season long, from Week 1 through the Big Ten Championship Game. Fans can get FOX, FS1, BTN and more in one subscription with FOX One. How Can I Stream Big Ten Football or Watch Without Cable?
Select games are also available on Peacock, and streaming services such as YouTube TV, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV can be used to stream games airing on broadcast or cable networks. How Can I Watch Big Ten Football for Free? If you have an over-the-air antenna that picks up your local channels, you can watch every Big Ten game that airs on FOX for free, including the Big Ten Championship Game.
2026 Big Ten Schedule Notes Kickoff times and TV designations for games later in the season will be set through the Big Ten's standard 12-day and six-day selection windows. Some Saturday games could shift to Friday or other dates, including Black Friday, to fit national broadcast schedules. Check back for updates as more times and networks are announced.
