A trip to BYU in Week 2. A Friday night home game against TCU that doesn’t kick off until nearly 10:15 p.m. ET. And the Territorial Cup closing out the year against Arizona State. The 2026 Arizona football schedule leans heavily on late kickoffs before settling into its biggest rivalry.
2026 Arizona Football Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Sep 5 | Northern Arizona Lumberjacks | Casino Del Sol Stadium, Tucson, AZ | 9:30 PM | ESPN+ |
| Sat, Sep 12 | at No. 12 BYU Cougars | LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, UT | 3:30 PM | FOX |
| Sat, Sep 19 | NIU Huskies | Casino Del Sol Stadium, Tucson, AZ | 10:30 PM | TNT/HBO Max |
| Sat, Sep 26 | at Washington State Cougars | Martin Stadium, Pullman, WA | 7:30 PM | CBS/Paramount+ |
| Sat, Oct 3 | Cincinnati Bearcats | Casino Del Sol Stadium, Tucson, AZ | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Oct 10 | at West Virginia Mountaineers | Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Oct 17 | — | OFF | — | — |
| Sat, Oct 24 | Iowa State Cyclones (Homecoming) | Casino Del Sol Stadium, Tucson, AZ | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Oct 31 | at No. 8 Texas Tech Red Raiders | Galaxy Stadium, Lubbock, TX | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Fri, Nov 6 | No. 23 TCU Horned Frogs | Casino Del Sol Stadium, Tucson, AZ | 10:15 PM | ESPN |
| Sat, Nov 14 | No. 18 Utah Utes | Casino Del Sol Stadium, Tucson, AZ | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 21 | at Kansas State Wildcats | Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 28 | Arizona State Sun Devils (Territorial Cup) | Casino Del Sol Stadium, Tucson, AZ | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Fri, Dec 4 | Big 12 Championship | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX | 8:00 PM | ABC |
A Loud Home Opener, Then a Trip to Provo
Arizona opens the 2026 Arizona football schedule with a late-night home game against Northern Arizona before heading to Provo to face No. 12 BYU on September 12 — the first real road test of the season. NIU visits Tucson for another 10:30 p.m. ET kickoff before Arizona hits the road again at Washington State to close out September.
A Manageable October, Then Texas Tech Looms
Cincinnati visits Casino Del Sol Stadium before a road trip to West Virginia and a bye week on October 17 give the Wildcats a chance to reset. Iowa State comes to Tucson for Homecoming before the Arizona Big 12 schedule 2026 sends the Wildcats on the road to face No. 8 Texas Tech on Halloween — arguably the toughest true road test of the entire season.
TCU Under the Lights, Then Utah
No. 23 TCU visits for a Friday night kickoff that doesn’t start until 10:15 p.m. ET, one of several late-night home dates that define this schedule. No. 18 Utah follows a week later, giving Arizona back-to-back ranked home opponents before the season turns to its closing road trip.
The Territorial Cup Closes It Out
A trip to Kansas State opens the final stretch before Arizona vs Arizona State 2026, the Territorial Cup, wraps the regular season at Casino Del Sol Stadium on November 28. If Arizona is still playing December 4, it’s in Arlington for the Big 12 Championship.
The Bottom Line
Between BYU, Texas Tech, TCU, and Utah, Arizona faces four ranked opponents scattered across a schedule built around unusually late kickoffs. The Arizona football home games in 2026 bring real national attention, but how the Wildcats handle the road trip to Lubbock will likely decide whether the Territorial Cup carries any larger stakes.
FAQ
Q: When does Arizona football play its first game in 2026?
A: Arizona opens the 2026 Arizona football schedule at home against Northern Arizona on Saturday, September 5, at Casino Del Sol Stadium.
Q: When is Arizona vs Arizona State 2026?
A: Arizona vs Arizona State 2026, the Territorial Cup, is set for Saturday, November 28, at home at Casino Del Sol Stadium in Tucson.
Q: How many home games does Arizona play in 2026?
A: Arizona has seven Arizona football home games in 2026 at Casino Del Sol Stadium: Northern Arizona, NIU, Cincinnati, Iowa State, TCU, Utah, and Arizona State.
Q: What is Arizona’s toughest stretch on the 2026 schedule?
A: The run from Texas Tech (road) through TCU (home) and Utah (home) — October 31 through November 14 — is the toughest stretch on the Arizona Big 12 schedule 2026, alongside the September road trip to BYU.
