The Georgia Bulldogs will open the 2026 season at home against the Tennessee State Tigers, FBSchedules.com has learned. A copy of the football game contract with the University of Georgia was obtained from Tennessee State University via a state public records request.
Georgia will host Tennessee State at Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. The Bulldogs will pay the Tigers a $600,000 guarantee for the contest, according to the copy of the contract.
The Tennessean first reported news of the Tennessee State-Georgia matchup in July. The contract is dated June 12, but the document was not fully executed until October 27 when it was signed by Jere W. Morehead, UGA’s President and Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the University of Georgia Athletic Association.
Tennessee State is a member of the OVC-Big South Football Association in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Tigers are 2-8 overall and 0-6 in conference action so far this season.
With the Tennessee State game now officially contracted, Georgia will have to reschedule or cancel one of its previously announced non-conference matchups against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at home in Athens on Sept. 12 or the Louisville Cardinals on the road on Sept. 19.
According to copies of the contracts, the cancellation fee for the Western Kentucky game is $1.9 million. The cancellation fee for Louisville is $1 million per game, as the two are also scheduled to meet in Athens in 2027. The schools could also negotiate a lesser fee or mutually agree to cancel with no penalty.
Georgia is scheduled to close the regular-season with its annual non-conference contest against the in-state rival Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Nov. 28 in Athens.
The 2026 season will be the first for the SEC with a nine-game conference football schedule. Georgia is scheduled to host Auburn, Florida (in Atlanta), Missouri, Oklahoma, and Vanderbilt and travel to Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and South Carolina.
The SEC is expected to announce the complete 2026 football schedule with dates following the SEC Championship Game in December.
FOOTBALL SCHEDULES
Looks like Georgia is going to cancel their series with Louisville. Georgia already has Georgia Tech plus 9 SEC games on the schedule.
I’d prefer WKU get removed. There aren’t enough P4-P4 OOC games as it is.
Georgia-Louisville would make an excellent CFP match up without Mason-Dixon nonsense.
Z-Man P4-P4 OOC games belongs at neutral sites instead of campus stadium.
Last thing I want to see is 80% Ohio State Fans in Tempe, AZ at a Sun Devils Football game however State Farm Stadium would be a much, much better place for Arizona State-Ohio State & have half of Sun Devils Fans & other Buckeyes Fans to make it fair.
I agree I bet it gets canceled and won’t be shocked if Georgia and Clemson cancel half or all the games they got booked. People that would rather see Georgia play Arkansas instead of Clemson Louisville or Ohio St home and home need there heads checked
Illininoiles97 Conference games are very meaningful during regular season P4-P4 OOC games would be excellent for CFP.
Just like an SEC team….got to have that FCS home game on the schedule so as to pad the win total.
P4 teams needs cupcake OOC games & there will be plenty of P4-P4 in CFP.
Or an ACC team, or a Big Ten team, or a Big 12 team, or an American team, or a CUSA team, or a MAC team, or a MWC team, or a Pac-12 team, or a Sun Belt team…
Someone’s Georgia is showing *LOL*
No, it’s just common sense. Anyone who complains when SEC teams schedule FCS games need only look at every other team with the exception of Notre Dame and USC.
Illinois plays Southern Illinois next year, then Eastern Illinois in 2027 and Illinois State in 2028,
Indiana plays Howard in 2026, Indiana State in 2027 and Austin Peay in 2028.
Iowa plays Northern Iowa in 2026 and North Dakota in 2027.
Maryland plays Hampton in 2026, Youngstown State in 2027, and Towson in 2028.
Minnesota plays Eastern Illinois in 2026, Lindenwood in 2027 and North Dakota in 2028.
Nebraska plays North Dakota in 2026, Northern Iowa in 2027, and South Dakota State in 2028.
Northwestern plays South Dakota State in 2026, Holy Cross in 2027 and Illinois State in 2030.
Ohio State plays New Hampshire in 2027 and Youngstown State in 2029.
Oregon plays Portland State in 2026, Eastern Washington in 2027 and North Dakota State in 2028.
Penn State plays Delaware in 2027.
Purdue plays Indiana State in 2026 and 2029 and Western Illinois in 2028.
Rutgers plays Howard in 2026 and Norfolk State in 2028.
UCLA plays UC Davis in 2027 and 2029.
Washington plays Eastern Washington in 2026 and 2028.
Wisconsin plays Western Illinois in 2026, Southern Illinois in 2027, and William & Mary in 2028.
Michigan plays Western Michigan, UTEP, Buffalo and Eastern Michigan in the coming years, all games they will be expected to win easily.
If only there was a website some place that posted future schedules so people could look for themselves without saying something stupid.