The UCF Knights have added the Georgia State Panthers to their 2026 football schedule, which replaces a previously scheduled home contest against the UMass Minutemen, according to two separate reports Tuesday.
Chris Boyle of the Daytona Beach News-Journal and Brandon Helwig of UCFSports.com both reported the switch via their X accounts. The reports state that UCF will host Georgia State next season at the Acrisure Bounce House in Orlando, Fla., but a specific date was not given.
UCF was previously scheduled to host the UMass Minutemen in Orlando on Sept. 19, 2026. Per the reports, that contest will now be played during the 2029 season.
#UCF's scheduled non-conference football game against UMass has been moved to the 2029 season. Knights will host Georgia State next year instead.
— Chris Boyle (@ChrisBoyleDBNJ) October 21, 2025
Due to UMass needing to drop previously-scheduled games as part of their entry to the MAC, UCF will now play Georgia State in 2026.
The 2026 OOC slate is now Bethune-Cookman and GSU at home, and Pittsburgh on the road.
Georgia State is 1-6 this season.https://t.co/ZXttN4CkKJ
— Brandon Helwig (@UCFSports) October 21, 2025
UCF is scheduled to open the 2026 season at home on Sept. 5 against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. The following week on Sept. 12, the Knights will travel to take on the Pitt Panthers on Sept. 12.
In Big 12 Conference action, UCF is slated to host Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Iowa State, and TCU and travel to Colorado, Houston, Kansas, and Oklahoma State.
Georgia State now has three scheduled non-conference opponents for the 2026 season. The Panthers are slated to kickoff the season at home against the North Carolina A&T Aggies on Sept. 5 before making a short in-state road trip to face the Kennesaw State Owls on Sept. 12.
With the UCF contest rescheduled, UMass is now down to four non-conference games next season. However, the Minutemen could have played five per the Hawaii Exemption since that are slated to play in Hawaii to conclude the regular-season.
UMass is set to open its 2026 campaign at the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Sept. 5. The Minutemen will then host the Sacred Heart Pioneers on Sept. 12 and will also visit the UConn Huskies later in the season on Oct. 24.
UPDATE (2:04pm ET)
UCF will pay Georgia State a $1.25 million guarantee for the game on Sept. 19, 2026, according to a copy of the contract obtained from Georgia State University via an open records request.
Football Schedules
Love to see more regional match-ups in OOC games. Hope UMass keeps playing teams like Colgate & the Cross. More regional flavor, please.