UConn Football Finalizes 2026 Schedule
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The UConn Huskies prepare for an important season in 2026, which they now have all 12 regular season opponents for.
UConn announced Southern Miss as a home-and-away opponent on Feb. 17, completing their 2026 season, as they have all opponents needed for a full campaign.
The Huskies travel to face the Golden Eagles in Hattiesburg, Miss. for a Week 3 matchup on Sept. 19 this season and then will host Southern Miss in 2029 at Rentschler Field. This serves as the first meetings between both programs.
New head coach Jason Candle takes over after spending the past 10 years in the same role at Toledo and now looks to make his mark with a strong 2026 campaign.
The Rest of the 2026 Schedule
The 2026 season serves as the seventh season the Huskies are an independent, following the school's departure from the American Athletic Conference to the Big East Conference.
It is also the sixth that they've played actually games, after not competing in the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Opponent | Date (Week) | Home/Away |
|---|---|---|
Lafayette | Sept. 5 (1) | Home |
Maryland | Sept. 12 (2) | Home |
Southern Miss | Sept. 19 (3) | Away |
Miami (Ohio) | Sept. 26 (4) | Away |
Syracuse | Oct. 3 (5) | Home |
Temple | Oct. 10 (6) | Away |
Bye Week | Oct. 17 (7) | |
UMass | Oct. 24 (8) | Home |
Air Force | Oct. 31 (9) | Away |
North Carolina | Nov. 7 (10) | Home |
James Madison | Nov. 14 (11) | Home |
Old Dominion | Nov. 21 (12) | Home |
Wyoming | Nov. 28 (13) | Away |
UConn opens the season with back-to-back home games, as they host FCS program Lafayette in Week 1 on Sept. 5 and then Big 10 school Maryland in Week 2 on Sept. 12.
The Huskies suffered a blowout loss to the Terrapins last season, 50-7 in College Park, Md. They are also 1-3 vs. the Terrapins, winning 24-21 on the road in 2012 and losing 32-21 in the last home matchup in 2013.
UConn heads on the road for back-to-back games against Southern Miss in Week 3 and then takes on MAC program Miami (Ohio) in Week 4 on Sept. 26 at Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio, also the first meeting between both programs.
Syracuse comes to Rentschler Field in Week 5 on Oct. 3 for a big time rivalry match for UConn and Candle. Their former Big East foe has won the past six games dating back to 2012, including the past two seasons in Syracuse and leads the series 8-6 all-time.
UConn will face Temple at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa. for their Week 6 matchup on Oct. 10. UConn has lost five of the past seven matchups to Temple, but defeated them 29-20 at home last season.
The Huskies have their bye week in Week 7 and then host the rival UMass Minutemen in Week 8 on Oct. 24. The Huskies and Minutemen are tied, 38-38-2 in the series, but the Huskies have won the past three matchups, including 47-42 in Foxboro, Mass. in 2025.
UConn travels out west and takes on Air Force at Falcon Stadium in Colorado in Week 9 on Oct. 31. They defeated Air Force at home last season, 26-16, in the first meeting between both programs.
They return home for three straight home games, including North Carolina in Week 10 on Nov. 7, James Madison in Week 11 on Nov. 14 and Old Dominion in Week 12 on Nov. 21.
The Huskies got their first win over the Tar Heels in the 2024 Fenway Bowl, but trail 1-3 in the all-time series. The Dukes lead the series 5-1 over the Huskies, including a 44-6 blowout victory at home in 2023. It is the first meeting between the Huskies and the Monarchs.
UConn travels back out west for their final 2026 regular season game, where they face Wyoming in Laramie in Week 13 on Nov. 28. Wyoming won the only even meeting between both programs, 24-22 on the road in 2021.
