Taking a Look Ahead at Arizona State's 2026 Football Schedule
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TEMPE -- The 2025 regular season is now behind the Arizona State Sun Devils - the program will close out Kenny Dillingham's third season as head coach in the month of December before beginning to gear up for a 2026 season that is sure to be even more eventful than the season at hand.
Arizona State is set to play six home games, five road games, and a neutral site contest in Dillingham's fourth year on the job, which ends up being the most diverse mix of destinations out of any other point in his tenure.
ASU on SI explores the opponents they will face in the 2026 season, with dates that have already been announced listed below.
Home Games
- Morgan State - September 5
- Colorado - TBD
- Baylor - TBD
- Oklahoma State - TBD
- Kansas State - TBD
- Hawaii - TBD
Morgan State is set to be the season opener - this was the result of a reschedule following the Eddie George coached Bowling Green Falcons backing out of a previously scheduled contest.
Colorado is set to return to Tempe for the first time since 2023 and is seeking to exact revenge on the Sun Devils for the 42-17 loss in Boulder on Nov 22. Deion Sanders and redshirt freshman QB Julian Lewis are seeking to bounce back from a 3-9 campaign.
Baylor makes the return trip to Tempe in 2026 after falling by a score of 27-24 to the Sun Devils in Waco on Sept 20.
Oklahoma State makes a trek to Tempe for the first time since 2022 in what has the potential to be a revitalized program under North Texas head coach Eric Morris, while Kansas State is coming to visit for the first time since 1989 - two seasons after Arizona State defeated them in Manhattan.
Hawaii will be the rare "buy" game that will be played after the beginning of conference play, as they will likely play following the neutral-site Big 12 game that will be played on September 19.
Road Games
- Texas A&M - September 12
- BYU - TBD
- Texas Tech - TBD
- UCF - TBD
- Arizona - TBD
Texas A&M will be an early-season challenge for ASU, as the Aggies are set to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time this season. This also marks the first home-and-home against an SEC program before they take on two other major programs from the league.
The Sun Devils will make their first trip to Provo since the 27-17 loss in the 2021 season - the two programs appear to be budding rivals, as they have been at the top of the Big 12 standings over the last two seasons.
This will be the third season in a row in which Arizona State plays the Red Raiders - the 26-22 victory over the top-five team was a high point of the team's 2025 season. Arizona State is also set to travel to Orlando for the first time after defeating the Knights in 2023.
Lastly, Arizona State is seeking to return the Territorial Cup to Tempe after falling to Arizona by a score of 23-7 at home last Friday.
Neutral Site
- Kansas - September 19 in London, England
This is perhaps the most intriguing game on the entire schedule, as it was announced earlier this season that the Sun Devils would be playing a neutral-site game across the pond against a conference foe in Kansas.
Although Kansas is unlikely to be the best team that Arizona State faces in 2026, it is a unique opportunity to advertise the Big 12 conference, the Arizona State brand, and the game of football to a European audience.
The remaining dates that are currently unannounced will likely be unveiled at some point in January, as was the case earlier this year.
Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the bright future of the football program isn’t dimmed by the loss to Arizona here.
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Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.