The Virginia Cavaliers have added the Delaware Blue Hens to their 2026 football schedule, it was announced on Monday.
Virginia will host Delaware at Scott Stadium in Charlotteville, Va., on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. The game will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools on the gridiron.
The Delaware Blue Hens, who currently compete in the Coastal Athletic Association in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), are moving up to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and will join Conference USA in 2025. Delaware will become a full member of the FBS the following season in 2026.
With the addition of Delaware, Virginia now has three non-conference opponents set for the 2026 season. The Cavaliers are also scheduled to visit the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend, Ind., on Oct. 17 and host the Norfolk State Spartans in Charlottesville on Nov. 21.
Virginia is the first announced non-conference opponent for Delaware in 2026. The Blue Hens were previously scheduled to host in-state rival Delaware State that season, but the status of that contest is uncertain.
Delaware now has 10 future games scheduled against FBS opponents. The Blue Hens will visit Colorado and Wake Forest in 2025, Virginia in 2026, and Penn State in 2027. They also have home-and-home series set with James Madison (2027 and 2031 home, 2028 and 2032 away) and Buffalo (2029 home, 2030 away).
Football Schedules
I hope that the Hens and Cavs will play each other every few seasons. There could be a lot of regional interest in that matchup.