2026 Patriot League Football Schedule: Full Week-by-Week Dates, Matchups and Guide

Posted on by USA Sportz
Patriot League Football Schedule

The 2026 Patriot League Football Schedule marks a new era for the conference’s 41st season with the addition of Villanova and William & Mary.

The league grows to 10 members for the first time. FCS Playoff semifinalists Villanova and William & Mary join second-year member Richmond, along with Bucknell, Colgate, Fordham, Georgetown, Holy Cross, Lafayette and two-time defending champion Lehigh.

The 2026 Patriot League Football Schedule features 74 total games, including 45 league matchups. All 10 programs will play a nine-game round-robin schedule. The Patriot League champion will receive the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division I FCS Championship.

2026 Patriot League Football Teams

The 10 teams competing in the 2026 Patriot League are:
Bucknell, Colgate, Fordham, Georgetown, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Richmond, Villanova and William & Mary.

2026 Patriot League Football Schedule Week by Week

Week 0 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 0 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 0 – Patriot League Football Schedule
Date Matchup Result
Saturday, Aug. 29Bucknell at Richmond*Richmond won 35-14
Saturday, Aug. 29Colgate at Fordham*Colgate won 24-14
Saturday, Aug. 29Lafayette at Georgetown*No contest
Saturday, Aug. 29Lehigh at Holy Cross*Lehigh won 35-10
Saturday, Aug. 29William & Mary at Villanova*William & Mary won 35-32

Last updated

Week 1 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 1 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 1 – Patriot League Football Schedule
Date Matchup Result
Saturday, Sept. 5Villanova at Bucknell*Villanova won 17-16
Saturday, Sept. 5Holy Cross at Colgate*Colgate won 35-10
Saturday, Sept. 5Lehigh at Georgetown*Lehigh won 45-14
Saturday, Sept. 5Fordham at CCSUCancelled (Fordham played at North Dakota State instead; NDSU won 38-0)
Saturday, Sept. 5Delaware State at William & MaryWilliam & Mary won 22-15
Saturday, Sept. 5Richmond at HowardRichmond won 28-21
Saturday, Sept. 5Lafayette at UConnUConn won 56-7

Last updated

Week 2 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 2 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 2 – Patriot League Football Schedule
Date Matchup Result
Friday, Sept. 11Villanova at LouisvilleLouisville won 59-13
Saturday, Sept. 12Bucknell at VMIBucknell won 14-3
Saturday, Sept. 12William & Mary at Lehigh*Lehigh won 44-20
Saturday, Sept. 12Colgate at Central MichiganCentral Michigan won 13-10
Saturday, Sept. 12Fordham at Coastal CarolinaCoastal Carolina won 45-7
Saturday, Sept. 12Holy Cross at Miami (Ohio)Miami (Ohio) won 45-7
Saturday, Sept. 12Marist at LafayetteLafayette won 13-9
Saturday, Sept. 12Richmond at NC StateNC State won 73-0

Last updated

Week 3 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 3 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 3 – Patriot League Football Schedule
Date Matchup Result
Saturday, Sept. 19Penn at BucknellPenn won 20-7
Saturday, Sept. 19Georgetown at Richmond*Richmond won 24-21
Saturday, Sept. 19Cornell at ColgateColgate won 20-7
Saturday, Sept. 19Yale at Holy CrossYale won 38-28
Saturday, Sept. 19Lafayette at ColumbiaColumbia won 40-34 (OT)
Saturday, Sept. 19Dartmouth at LehighLehigh won 24-20
Saturday, Sept. 19Villanova at LIUVillanova won 20-16
Saturday, Sept. 19Fordham at William & Mary*Fordham won 52-27

Last updated

Week 4 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 4 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 4 – Patriot League Football Schedule
Date Matchup Result
Saturday, Sept. 26Bucknell at PittsburghPittsburgh won 59-0
Saturday, Sept. 26Holy Cross at Lafayette*Holy Cross won 38-30
Saturday, Sept. 26Colgate at Villanova*Colgate won 28-21
Saturday, Sept. 26Lehigh at PennLehigh won 20-7
Saturday, Sept. 26Columbia at GeorgetownColumbia won 20-17
Saturday, Sept. 26Stony Brook at FordhamStony Brook won 31-16
Saturday, Sept. 26Furman at RichmondRichmond won 13-9
Saturday, Sept. 26William & Mary at DukeDuke won 62-7

Last updated

Week 5 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 5 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 5 – Patriot League Football Schedule
Date Matchup Result
Saturday, Oct. 3Colgate at HarvardHarvard won 20-17
Saturday, Oct. 3Fordham at Lehigh*Lehigh won 34-0
Saturday, Oct. 3Holy Cross at William & Mary*Holy Cross won 41-14
Saturday, Oct. 3Richmond at Lafayette*Richmond won 40-31
Saturday, Oct. 3Cornell at GeorgetownCornell won 35-14
Saturday, Oct. 3Morgan State at VillanovaMorgan State won 38-35

Last updated

Week 6 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 6 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 6 – Patriot League Football Schedule
Date Matchup Result
Saturday, Oct. 10Bucknell at Georgetown*Georgetown won 21-14
Saturday, Oct. 10Richmond at Fordham*Fordham won 20-14
Saturday, Oct. 10William & Mary at NC CentralWilliam & Mary won 17-14

Last updated

Week 7 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 7 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 7 – Patriot League Football Schedule
Date Matchup Result
Saturday, Oct. 17Lafayette at Bucknell*Lafayette won 20-7
Saturday, Oct. 17Georgetown at Colgate*Georgetown won 27-17
Saturday, Oct. 17Villanova at Fordham*Villanova won 38-17
Saturday, Oct. 17Holy Cross at HarvardHarvard won 30-7
Saturday, Oct. 17Lehigh at CornellCornell won 48-38

Last updated

Week 8 – Patriot League Football TV Schedule

Week 8 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 8 – Patriot League Football Schedule
Date Matchup Result
Saturday, Oct. 24Bucknell at Holy Cross*Holy Cross won 34-3
Saturday, Oct. 24Colgate at Richmond*Richmond won 13-6
Saturday, Oct. 24Georgetown at William & Mary*Georgetown won 28-27
Saturday, Oct. 24Lafayette at Fordham*Lafayette won 31-17
Saturday, Oct. 24Lehigh at Villanova*Villanova won 24-18

Last updated

Week 9 – Patriot League Football TV Schedule

Week 9 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 9 – Patriot League Football Schedule
Date Matchup Result
Saturday, Oct. 31Bucknell at Lehigh*Lehigh won 31-30
Saturday, Oct. 31William & Mary at Colgate*Colgate won 28-27
Saturday, Oct. 31Richmond at Holy Cross*TBD
Saturday, Oct. 31Villanova at Lafayette*TBD

Last updated

Week 10 – Patriot League Football TV Schedule

Week 10 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 10 – Patriot League Football Schedule
Date Matchup
Saturday, Nov. 7Fordham at Bucknell*
Saturday, Nov. 7Colgate at Lehigh*
Saturday, Nov. 7Holy Cross at Georgetown*
Saturday, Nov. 7Lafayette at William & Mary*
Saturday, Nov. 7Richmond at Villanova*

Last updated

Week 11 – Patriot League Football TV Schedule

Week 11 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 11 – Patriot League Football Schedule
Date Matchup
Saturday, Nov. 14Bucknell at William & Mary*
Saturday, Nov. 14Lafayette at Colgate*
Saturday, Nov. 14Georgetown at Fordham*
Saturday, Nov. 14Villanova at Holy Cross*
Saturday, Nov. 14Lehigh at Richmond*

Last updated

Week 12 – Patriot League Football TV Schedule

Week 12 – Patriot League Football Schedule

Week 12 – Patriot League Football Schedule
Date Matchup
Saturday, Nov. 21Colgate at Bucknell*
Saturday, Nov. 21Fordham at Holy Cross*
Saturday, Nov. 21Georgetown at Villanova*
Saturday, Nov. 21Lehigh at Lafayette*
Saturday, Nov. 21William & Mary at Richmond*

Last updated

2026 Patriot League Rivalry Week

The final week of the regular season on November 21 features several historic rivalries.

Lafayette vs. Lehigh will mark the 162nd meeting of The Rivalry, the most-played rivalry in college football.

William & Mary vs. Richmond will meet for the 137th time in the Capital Cup, a series known as the Oldest Rivalry in the South.

Other Week 12 rivalry games include Fordham vs. Holy Cross, Bucknell vs. Colgate and Georgetown vs. Villanova.

2026 Lehigh vs. Villanova FCS Playoff Rematch

Lehigh at Villanova on October 24 will provide another important storyline.

For the second consecutive season, Lehigh will face its previous season’s FCS Playoff opponent during the regular season.

2026 Patriot League Football Outlook

The addition of Villanova and William & Mary creates a 10-team Patriot League and adds several high-profile matchups to the schedule.

The conference will continue to use a full round-robin league schedule, with the champion earning the automatic FCS playoff bid.

With traditional rivalries, new conference matchups and several challenging non-conference games, the 2026 Patriot League Football Schedule should provide plenty of competition throughout the fall.

FAQ

When does the 2026 Patriot League Football Schedule begin?
Week 0 games start on August 29, 2026.

Which new teams join the Patriot League in 2026?
Villanova and William & Mary join the Patriot League for 2026.

When is the Lehigh vs Lafayette rivalry game?
Lehigh vs Lafayette is scheduled for November 21, 2026.

Does the Patriot League champion get an FCS playoff bid?
Yes. The Patriot League champion receives the conference’s automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.

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