The Jackson State Tigers have announced their 2026 football schedule, which features five home games and one neutral-site contest.
The season kicks off on Saturday, August 29, when JSU travels to Nashville to face longtime rival Tennessee State in the John Merritt Classic, renewing one of the most tradition-rich matchups in HBCU football.
The Tigers open their home schedule at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on September 5 against Edward Waters, which was previously unannounced, before entering their first bye week on September 12.
Non-conference play continues on September 19, as Jackson State hosts Tuskegee, adding another storied HBCU opponent to the Tigers’ September slate. This is also a previously unknown matchup.
SWAC competition begins on September 26, when JSU welcomes Southern University to Jackson in a matchup that routinely shapes the conference race. The Tigers then head to Mobile on October 3 for a neutral-site showdown with Alabama A&M in the Gulf Coast Challenge.
A challenging midseason road stretch follows, beginning with a trip to Grambling State on October 10, before returning home on October 17 to host Florida A&M in a game that has become one of the league’s most anticipated annual battles.
JSU hits the road again on October 24 to face Bethune-Cookman, followed by a late-season bye on October 31.
The Tigers open November at home on November 7 against Mississippi Valley State, then close the regular season with back-to-back road tests: November 14 at Alabama State and November 21 at archrival Alcorn State.
Below is Jackson State’s complete schedule for the 2026 season, plus a link to their schedule page which will be updated with kickoff times and TV as they are announced:
2026 Jackson State Football Schedule
08/29 – at Tennessee State
09/05 – Edward Waters
09/12 – OFF
09/19 – Tuskegee
09/26 – Southern*
10/03 – Alabama A&M* (in Mobile, AL)
10/10 – at Grambling State*
10/17 – Florida A&M*
10/24 – at Bethune-Cookman*
10/31 – OFF
11/07 – Mississippi Valley State*
11/14 – at Alabama State*
11/21 – at Alcorn State*
* SWAC contest.
Jackson State finished the 2025 season 9-3 overall and 7-1 in SWAC play. The Tigers closed the season with a 23-21 loss to Prairie View A&M in the SWAC Championship Game.
