The FIU Panthers have officially added the Long Island University Sharks to their 2026 football schedule, according to an announcement Tuesday.
FIU will host LIU at Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami, Fla., on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. The two programs have met only once before, a Sept. 2, 2021 matchup that FIU won decisively, 48-10.
The Panthers were originally slated to host LIU during the 2025 season, but that game was never played. The newly scheduled 2026 contest is likely a rescheduling of that matchup, which included a $250,000 guarantee to the Sharks, according to the contract.
That same agreement also called for a men’s basketball game between the schools. That matchup will take place in November or December 2026 at FIU’s Ocean Bank Convocation Center, with the exact date to be finalized by May 1, 2026.
LIU competes in the Northeast Conference (NEC) at the FCS level and finished the 2025 season 6-6 overall and 4-3 in league play.
With Long Island now on the slate, FIU has completed its 2026 non‑conference schedule. The Panthers open the season at South Florida on Sept. 5, host Buffalo on Sept. 12, visit Florida Atlantic on Sept. 19, and then welcome LIU on Sept. 26.
LIU now has all five of its 2026 non‑conference opponents set as well. The Sharks begin the season with back‑to‑back road games at North Dakota on Thursday, Aug. 27, and Kansas on Friday, Sept. 4.
Long Island opens its home schedule at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium on Sept. 12 against UAlbany, followed by a Homecoming matchup with Villanova on Sept. 19.
“We’ve got a very competitive schedule with two FBS teams and three top-notch FCS playoff teams,” said LIU head coach Ron Cooper. “This non-conference schedule will prepare us for conference play.”
Football Schedules
