Virginia Tech and UCLA visit College Park back-to-back in September. A road trip to Ohio State follows in October. And Penn State closes out the home slate in late November. The Maryland Football Schedule 2026 delivers real quality both at home and on the road before the year is out.
Maryland Football Schedule 2026
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Sep 5 | Hampton Pirates | SECU Stadium, College Park, MD | 8:00 PM | BTN |
| Sat, Sep 12 | at UConn Huskies | Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT | 3:30 PM | CBSSN |
| Sat, Sep 19 | Virginia Tech Hokies | SECU Stadium, College Park, MD | 7:30 PM | FOX or FS1 |
| Sat, Sep 26 | UCLA Bruins | SECU Stadium, College Park, MD | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Oct 3 | at Nebraska Cornhuskers | Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Oct 10 | at Ohio State Buckeyes | Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Oct 17 | Rutgers Scarlet Knights (Homecoming) | SECU Stadium, College Park, MD | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Oct 24 | — | OFF | — | — |
| Sat, Oct 31 | Illinois Fighting Illini | SECU Stadium, College Park, MD | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 7 | at Purdue Boilermakers | Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 14 | Wisconsin Badgers | SECU Stadium, College Park, MD | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 21 | at USC Trojans | LA Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Nov 28 | Penn State Nittany Lions | SECU Stadium, College Park, MD | Time TBA | TV TBA |
| Sat, Dec 5 | Big Ten Championship | Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN | 8:00 PM | FOX |
A Home-Heavy Start, Then Two Marquee Non-Conference Games
Maryland Football Schedule 2026 opens against Hampton before a road trip to UConn on September 12. Virginia Tech visits College Park for a Saturday night showdown before UCLA arrives the following week — two genuine measuring-stick games in consecutive home dates.
Nebraska on the Road, Then Ohio State Looms
A trip to Nebraska opens October before the Maryland Big Ten schedule 2026 sends the Terrapins to Ohio State on October 10, the toughest true road test on the entire schedule. Rutgers visits for Homecoming before a bye week on October 24 gives the roster time to recover.
Illinois and Purdue, Then a Manageable Home Stretch
Illinois visits College Park before a road trip to Purdue closes out the first week of November. Wisconsin returns Maryland home before the schedule turns toward its final ranked road test.
A Trip to USC, Then Penn State Closes the Home Slate
A road game at USC in the LA Memorial Coliseum opens the season’s final stretch before Maryland vs Ohio State 2026’s earlier difficulty is echoed by Penn State visiting SECU Stadium on November 28 to close out the regular season. If Maryland is still playing December 5, it’s in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship.
The Bottom Line
Between Ohio State, USC, and Penn State, Maryland faces three ranked opponents scattered across the back half of the season. The Maryland football home games in 2026 include a strong non-conference stretch early, but how the Terrapins handle the Ohio State and USC road trips will decide whether the Penn State finale means anything.
FAQ
Q: When does Maryland play its first game on the 2026 schedule?
A: Maryland Football Schedule 2026 opens at home against Hampton on Saturday, September 5, at SECU Stadium.
Q: When is Maryland vs Ohio State 2026?
A: Maryland vs Ohio State 2026 is set for Saturday, October 10, on the road at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, with Ohio State hosting.
Q: How many home games does Maryland play in 2026?
A: Maryland has seven Maryland football home games in 2026 at SECU Stadium: Hampton, Virginia Tech, UCLA, Rutgers, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Penn State.
Q: What is Maryland’s toughest stretch on the 2026 schedule?
A: The run from Ohio State (road) through the closing road trip to USC and home finale against Penn State makes up the toughest stretch on the Maryland Big Ten schedule 2026.
