A Friday night home game against Miami in Week 2. A road trip to Notre Dame under the lights in October. And three separate late-night ESPN kickoffs at home before Thanksgiving. The 2026 Stanford football schedule front-loads national attention and never really lets up on the late-kickoff pattern.
2026 Stanford Football Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Aug 29 | Hawaii Rainbow Warriors | Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA | 7:00 PM | ACCN |
| Fri, Sep 4 | Miami (FL) Hurricanes | Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA | 9:00 PM | ESPN |
| Sat, Sep 12 | — | OFF | — | — |
| Sat, Sep 19 | at Duke Blue Devils | Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, NC | 4:00 PM | The CW |
| Sat, Sep 26 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA | 10:30 PM | ESPN |
| Sat, Oct 3 | at Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Allegacy Stadium, Winston-Salem, NC | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Oct 10 | at Notre Dame Fighting Irish | Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, IN | 3:30 PM | NBC/Peacock |
| Sat, Oct 17 | Elon Phoenix (Homecoming) | Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA | 7:30 PM | ACCNX |
| Fri, Oct 23 | NC State Wolfpack | Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA | 10:30 PM | ESPN |
| Sat, Oct 31 | at Louisville Cardinals | L&N Stadium, Louisville, KY | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 7 | — | OFF | — | — |
| Sat, Nov 14 | at Virginia Tech Hokies | Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 21 | at California Golden Bears | Cal Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, CA | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 28 | SMU Mustangs | Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Dec 5 | ACC Championship | Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC | 12:00 PM | ABC |
Miami Visits Early, Then a Bye
Stanford opens the 2026 Stanford football schedule against Hawaii before Miami visits for a Friday night showdown on September 4 — as significant a Week 2 test as the ACC offers. A bye week on September 12 gives the Cardinal a chance to reset before the schedule turns cross-country again.
Duke on the Road, Then Late Nights at Home
A trip to Duke opens the second half of September, followed by Georgia Tech visiting Stanford Stadium for a 10:30 p.m. ET kickoff — the first of several late-night home dates that define this Stanford ACC schedule 2026. A road trip to Wake Forest follows before the marquee date of the season arrives.
Stanford vs Notre Dame 2026 and a Homecoming Bounce-Back
Stanford heads to South Bend on October 10 for a nationally televised matchup with Notre Dame, then returns home for Elon and Homecoming a week later. NC State visits for another Friday night, 10:30 p.m. ET kickoff on October 23 before a road trip to Louisville closes out the month.
A Bye, Then a Road-Heavy Close
A bye week on November 7 sets up the final stretch — road trips to Virginia Tech and California in back-to-back weeks before the regular season closes at home against SMU on November 28. If Stanford is still playing December 5, it’s in Charlotte for the ACC Championship.
The Bottom Line
Between Miami, Notre Dame, and a closing road trip through Virginia Tech and California, Stanford’s schedule mixes real quality with an unusual number of late-night home kickoffs. The Stanford football home games in 2026 bring national television exposure, but how the Cardinal handle two separate cross-country road stretches will shape the whole season.
FAQ
Q: When does Stanford football play its first game in 2026?
A: Stanford opens the 2026 Stanford football schedule at home against Hawaii on Saturday, August 29, at Stanford Stadium.
Q: When is Stanford vs Notre Dame 2026?
A: Stanford vs Notre Dame 2026 is set for Saturday, October 10, on the road at Notre Dame Stadium, kickoff at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock.
Q: How many home games does Stanford play in 2026?
A: Stanford has eight Stanford football home games in 2026 at Stanford Stadium: Hawaii, Miami, Georgia Tech, Elon, NC State, and SMU.
Q: What is Stanford’s toughest stretch on the 2026 schedule?
A: The closing run from Louisville (road) through Virginia Tech (road) and California (road) — October 31 through November 21 — is the toughest travel stretch on the Stanford ACC schedule 2026, alongside the October 10 road trip to Notre Dame.
