A Thursday night road trip to Illinois that opens the year. A Friday night home game against Navy the following week. And a Thursday night showdown with East Carolina in October. The UAB Football Schedule 2026 delivers an unusual number of national midweek showcases before the season is even half over.
UAB Football Schedule 2026
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Sep 3 | at Illinois Fighting Illini | Gies Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL | 9:00 PM | BTN |
| Sat, Sep 12 | ULM Warhawks | Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL | 3:30 PM | ESPN+ |
| Sat, Sep 19 | at Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns | Cajun Field, Lafayette, LA | 8:00 PM | ESPN+ |
| Fri, Sep 25 | Navy Midshipmen | Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL | 7:00 PM | ESPN |
| Sat, Oct 3 | Samford Bulldogs | Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL | 3:30 PM | ESPN+ |
| Sat, Oct 10 | at Memphis Tigers | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, TN | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Thu, Oct 15 | East Carolina Pirates (Homecoming) | Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL | 7:30 PM | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| Sat, Oct 24 | — | OFF | — | — |
| Sat, Oct 31 | at USF Bulls | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 7 | Charlotte 49ers | Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 14 | at Temple Owls | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 21 | UTSA Roadrunners | Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 28 | at North Texas Mean Green | DATCU Stadium, Denton, TX | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Dec 5 | American Championship | Site, City TBD | 8:00 PM | ABC |
A Thursday Night Opener, Then Two Straight Road Trips
UAB Football Schedule 2026 opens on the road at Illinois, kicking off at 9:00 p.m. ET on a Thursday night — a rare Power Four road test in Week 0. ULM visits Birmingham before a road trip to Louisiana closes out a demanding opening stretch, with Navy visiting for a Friday night game on September 25.
Samford at Home, Then a Road Trip to Memphis
Samford gives Birmingham a home date before the UAB AAC schedule 2026 sends the Blazers on the road to Memphis. East Carolina visits for a Thursday night Homecoming game on October 15 — the third midweek showcase of the season — before a bye week on October 24 offers a chance to recover.
USF on the Road, Then Charlotte at Home
A road trip to USF opens November before Charlotte visits Protective Stadium. UAB vs Illinois 2026’s early road difficulty is echoed by a trip to Temple a week later, followed by UTSA visiting Birmingham.
Closing on the Road at North Texas
The regular season closes on the road at North Texas on November 28. If UAB qualifies for the American Championship, that game lands December 5.
The Bottom Line
Between the Illinois opener and three separate national midweek showcases against Navy, East Carolina, and beyond, UAB gets more prime-time exposure than most Group of Five programs see in a full season. The UAB football home games in 2026 offer real chances to build momentum, but how the Blazers handle the closing road trips to Temple and North Texas will decide how the season ends.
FAQ
Q: When does UAB football play its first game in 2026?
A: UAB opens the UAB Football Schedule 2026 on the road against Illinois on Thursday, September 3, at Gies Memorial Stadium.
Q: When is UAB vs Illinois 2026?
A: UAB vs Illinois 2026 is the season opener, set for Thursday, September 3, on the road at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign, kickoff at 9:00 p.m. ET on BTN.
Q: How many home games does UAB play in 2026?
A: UAB has seven UAB football home games in 2026 at Protective Stadium: ULM, Navy, Samford, East Carolina, Charlotte, and UTSA.
Q: What is UAB’s toughest stretch on the 2026 schedule?
A: The opening month — a Thursday night road trip to Illinois followed by a road game at Louisiana inside three weeks — is the toughest early stretch on the UAB AAC schedule 2026, with the closing Temple-North Texas road trips adding difficulty in November.
