The 2026 MAC Football Schedule has been officially announced. Conference play begins on Saturday, August 29 with Sacramento State at Eastern Michigan.
The Sacramento State Hornets move up from the FCS and join the MAC this season, replacing the Northern Illinois Huskies following their move to the Mountain West Conference as a football-only member in 2026.
Returning MAC members include Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Ohio, Toledo, and Western Michigan.
The two teams with the best conference winning percentage will compete in the MAC Football Championship Game at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., on Saturday, Dec. 5.
Featured non-conference games for each MAC team in 2026 include UNLV at Akron, Ball State at Ohio State, Bowling Green at Nebraska, Buffalo at Penn State, Central Michigan ay Miami (FL), Eastern Michigan at Michigan State, Kent State at Ohio State, Miami (Ohio) vs. Cincinnati, Ohio at Nebraska, Sacramento State at Fresno State, Toledo at Michigan State, UMass at Rutgers, and Western Michigan at Michigan.
The MAC will release an updated schedule later this spring that includes game times and television designations for the first three weeks of the regular season, along with its nationally recognized midweek MACtion schedule. All remaining game times and television assignments will be announced 12 days prior to each game. MAC football games will once again be featured across ESPN networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+) and CBS Sports Network.
2026 MAC Football Schedules
- 2026 Akron Football Schedule
- 2026 Ball State Football Schedule
- 2026 Bowling Green Football Schedule
- 2026 Buffalo Football Schedule
- 2026 Central Michigan Football Schedule
- 2026 Eastern Michigan Football Schedule
- 2026 Kent State Football Schedule
- 2026 Miami (Ohio) Football Schedule
- 2026 Ohio Football Schedule
- 2026 Sacramento State Football Schedule
- 2026 Toledo Football Schedule
- 2026 UMass Football Schedule
- 2026 Western Michigan Football Schedule
2026 MAC Football Schedule
Saturday, August 29
*Sacramento State at Eastern Michigan
Thursday, September 3
Akron at Wake Forest
Albany at Buffalo
UMass at Rutgers
Friday, September 4
San Jose State at Eastern Michigan
Saturday, September 5
Ball State at Ohio State
Tarleton State at Bowling Green
Central Michigan at New Mexico
Kent State at South Carolina
Miami at Pittsburgh
Ohio at Nebraska
MVSU at Sacramento State
Toledo at Michigan State
Western Michigan at Michigan
Saturday, September 12
Robert Morris at Akron
Stony Brook at Ball State
Bowling Green at Nebraska
Buffalo at FIU
Colgate at Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan at Michigan State
Wofford at Kent State
Holy Cross at Miami
Jacksonville State at Ohio
Sacramento State at Fresno State
CCSU at Toledo
Sacred Heart at UMass
Monmouth at Western Michigan
Saturday, September 19
Akron at Minnesota
Ball State at Liberty
Bowling Green at Iowa State
Buffalo at Penn State
Wyoming at Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan at Wisconsin
Kent State at Ohio State
Miami at Cincinnati
Ohio at South Alabama
North Dakota State at Sacramento State
Temple at Toledo
Stonehill at UMass
Western Michigan at Rice
Saturday, September 26
UNLV at Akron
*Ball State at Kent State
South Florida at Bowling Green
Robert Morris at Buffalo
Central Michigan at Miami (FL)
Lindenwood at Eastern Michigan
UConn at Miami
Stonehill at Ohio
*UMass at Sacramento State
San Diego State at Toledo
Boise State at Western Michigan
Saturday, October 3
*Akron at Central Michigan
*Toledo at Ball State
*Bowling Green at Miami
*Western Michigan at Buffalo
*Eastern Michigan at UMass
*Ohio at Kent State
Saturday, October 10
*Eastern Michigan at Akron
Ball State at Northwestern
*Sacramento State at Bowling Green
*Buffalo at Toledo
*Central Michigan at Ohio
*Kent State at Western Michigan
*Miami at UMass
Saturday, October 17
*Akron at Miami
*Ball State at Bowling Green
*UMass at Buffalo
*Western Michigan at Central Michigan
*Toledo at Eastern Michigan
Kent State at South Florida
*Ohio at Sacramento State
Saturday, October 24
*Akron at Kent State
*Sacramento State at Ball State
*Bowling Green at Buffalo
*Miami at Central Michigan
*Eastern Michigan at Ohio
*Western Michigan at Toledo
UMass at UConn
Friday, October 30
*Kent State at Sacramento State
Saturday, October 31
*Bowling Green at Western Michigan
Tuesday, November 3
*Ohio at Akron
*Buffalo at Miami
Wednesday, November 4
*Ball State at UMass
*Central Michigan at Eastern Michigan
*Toledo at Sacramento State
Tuesday, November 10
*Western Michigan at Akron
*Kent State at Bowling Green
*Ohio at Miami
Wednesday, November 11
*Buffalo at Ball State
*Sacramento State at Central Michigan
*UMass at Toledo
Tuesday, November 17
*Ball State at Ohio
*Eastern Michigan at Western Michigan
*Miami at Kent State
Wednesday, November 18
*Akron at UMass
*Bowling Green at Toledo
*Central Michigan at Buffalo
Tuesday, November 24
*Kent State at Eastern Michigan
*Miami at Western Michigan
Friday, November 27
*Buffalo at Akron
*Toledo at Ohio
Saturday, November 28
*Central Michigan at Ball State
*UMass at Bowling Green
Sacramento State at Hawaii
Saturday, December 5
MAC Football Championship Game, Noon ET (ESPN)
2026 MAC Football Schedule Grid#MACtion pic.twitter.com/Qf9icF5QgV
— FBSchedules.com (@FBSchedules) March 24, 2026
Always enjoy watching MACtion on Tuesday & Wednesday evenings late in season.
UMess playing back to back Division I-AA opponents. So weak!
Interesting that Sacramento St. will play only 1 cold weather away game. Lucky!
Games matter more than weather.
They’re the only school stuck with a short week (4 days of rest), though.
Sacramento St.Uni. Hornets R?
They didn’t fall prey 2 the Trust 4 conferences $$game lure.
They’re going 2 struggle this year.
Not as some SEC-B18g10-ACC-B1612 Resume padding Statistics.