Select 2026 MAC football game times, TV networks revealed

The 2026 college football season is drawing closer.

Almost exactly three months before the season commences, kickoff times and networks were revealed for the first month of the season and for select non-Saturday games.

From early September non-conference clashes to Midweek MACtion battles, here are the kickoff times and networks already set in stone for the Mid-American Conference this fall:

Week 0

Saturday, Aug. 29

• Sacramento State at Eastern Michigan, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Week 1

Thursday, Sept. 3

• UMass at Rutgers, 6 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
• Akron at Wake Forest, 7 p.m. ET, ACC Network
• Albany (FCS) at Buffalo, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Friday, Sept. 4

• San Jose State at Eastern Michigan, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Toledo at Michigan State, 8 p.m. ET, FS1

Saturday, Sept. 5

• Tarleton State (FCS) at Bowling Green, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Ohio at Nebraska, 12 p.m. ET, FS1
• Miami (OH) at Pittsburgh, 12 p.m. ET or 12:30 p.m. ET, The CW
• Ball State at Ohio State, 12:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
• Kent State at South Carolina, 12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network
• Western Michigan at Michigan, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC
• Mississippi Valley State (FCS) at Sacramento State, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Central Michigan at New Mexico, 10 p.m. ET, FS1

Week 2

Saturday, Sept. 12

• Wofford (FCS) at Kent State, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Colgate (FCS) at Central Michigan, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Holy Cross (FCS) at Miami (OH), 1 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Stony Brook (FCS) at Ball State, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Robert Morris (FCS) at Akron, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Sacred Heart (FCS) at UMass, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Central Connecticut (FCS) at Toledo, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Eastern Michigan at Michigan State, 3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
• Jacksonville State at Ohio, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Buffalo at FIU, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Monmouth (FCS) at Western Michigan, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Bowling Green at Nebraska, 7 p.m. ET, FS1
• Sacramento State at Fresno State, 10:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

Week 3

Saturday, Sept. 19

• Bowling Green at Iowa State, 12 p.m. ET, ESPNU
• Kent State at Ohio State, 12 p.m. ET, FOX
• Buffalo at Penn State, 12 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
• Akron at Minnesota, 12 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
• Eastern Michigan at Wisconsin, 12:30 p.m. ET, Peacock
• Wyoming at Central Michigan, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Temple at Toledo, 3 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network
• Stonehill (FCS) at UMass, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Miami (OH) at Cincinnati, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Ball State at Liberty, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Western Michigan at Rice, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Ohio at South Alabama, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• North Dakota State at Sacramento State, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Week 4

Saturday, Sept. 26

• Lindenwood (FCS) at Eastern Michigan, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Robert Morris (FCS) at Buffalo, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Stonehill (FCS) at Ohio, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Central Michigan at Miami (FL), 6:30 p.m. ET, The CW

All other Week 4 game times and networks are unannounced as of May 27.

Other revealed games

Friday, Oct. 23

• UMass at UConn, 6 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

Friday, Oct. 30

• Kent State at Sacramento State, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Saturday, Oct. 31

• Bowling Green at Western Michigan, 12 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

Tuesday, Nov. 3

• Ohio at Akron, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2 or ESPNU
• Buffalo at Miami (OH), 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2 or ESPNU

Wednesday, Nov. 4

• Ball State at UMass, 7 p.m. ET or 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2 or ESPNU or CBS Sports Network
• Central Michigan at Eastern Michigan, 7 p.m. ET or 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2 or ESPNU or CBS Sports Network
• Toledo at Sacramento State, 7 p.m. ET or 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2 or ESPNU or CBS Sports Network

Tuesday, Nov. 10

• Western Michigan at Akron, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2 or ESPNU or CBS Sports Network
• Kent State at Bowling Green, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2 or ESPNU or CBS Sports Network
• Ohio at Miami (OH), 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2 or ESPNU or CBS Sports Network

Wednesday, Nov. 11

• Buffalo at Ball State, 7 p.m. ET or 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2 or ESPNU or CBS Sports Network
• Sacramento State at Central Michigan, 7 p.m. ET or 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2 or ESPNU or CBS Sports Network
• UMass at Toledo, 7 p.m. ET or 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2 or ESPNU or CBS Sports Network

Tuesday, Nov. 17

• Ball State at Ohio, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2 or ESPNU or CBS Sports Network
• Eastern Michigan at Western Michigan, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2 or ESPNU or CBS Sports Network
• Miami (OH) at Kent State, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2 or ESPNU or CBS Sports Network

Wednesday, Nov. 18

• Akron at UMass, 7 p.m. ET or 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU or CBS Sports Network
• Central Michigan at Buffalo, 7 p.m. ET or 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU or CBS Sports Network

Friday, Nov. 20

• Bowling Green at Toledo, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Tuesday, Nov. 24

• Kent State at Eastern Michigan, TBD, ESPN2 or ESPN+
• Miami (OH) at Western Michigan, TBD, ESPN2 or ESPN+

Friday, Nov. 27

• Buffalo at Akron, 12 p.m. ET, ESPNU or CBS Sports Network
• Toledo at Ohio, 12 p.m. ET, ESPNU or CBS Sports Network

Saturday, Nov. 28

• Central Michigan at Ball State, 12 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network or TBD
• UMass at Bowling Green, 12 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network or TBD
• Sacramento State at Hawai'i, TBA, Mountain West+

Saturday, Dec. 5

• MAC Championship Game, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN

Notes

• The Friday, Nov. 20 matchup of Bowling Green at Toledo was previously scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 18. Scheduling a rivalry of this magnitude on a Wednesday night received backlash when the MAC schedule first released in March. Last year's Battle of I-75 Rivalry at Bowling Green featured an electric sellout crowd of 24,000 for a Saturday contest. The move to Friday was likely done to spur attendance for a game with special meaning to both campuses, and it still warrants a nationally televised spot on ESPN2. Prior to this season, the MAC hadn't scheduled a Friday night conference matchup since 2016.
• Two other games (both of the non-conference variety) were moved since the MAC's initial March 24 schedule release include: Toledo at Michigan State (from Saturday, Sept. 5 to Friday, Sept. 4) and UMass at UConn (from Saturday, Oct. 24 to Friday, Oct. 23).
• Here is a breakdown of confirmed MAC broadcast networks, excluding ESPN+. For the midweek MACtion games with the 'or' designation, one game will appear on each network listed.

• Four teams are confirmed for network TV appearances this fall. Western Michigan receives an NBC appearance in Week 1 for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Michigan, while Kent State receives a FOX appearance in Week 3 for a 12 p.m. ET kickoff at Ohio State. Two MAC-affiliated early games were picked up by the CW Network, with Miami's game against Pitt in Week 1 kicking off at either noon or 12:30 p.m. ET and Central Michigan's game against Miami [FL] in Week 4 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
• There are two confirmed games on ESPN's flagship network this fall. In Week 3, FBS newcomers North Dakota State and Sacramento State meet in California for a late-night 10:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN. And as usual, the MAC Championship Game receives its noon ET slot on ESPN on Saturday, Dec. 5.