Georgia Tech opens the 2026 season on a Thursday night against Colorado, the first game of college football’s Week 1 and a rematch of last year’s opener in Boulder. Brent Key’s fourth season begins with the Yellow Jackets coming off a 9-4 record and a No. 24 final ranking.
Seven home games is their most since 2019, and Tech has won 10 of its last 11 at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
| Date | Opponent | Time · TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Sep 3 | vs Colorado | 8:00 PM · ESPN | — |
| Sat, Sep 12 | vs Tennessee | TBD | — |
| Sat, Sep 19 | vs Mercer | TBD | — |
| Sat, Sep 26 | at Stanford | TBD | — |
| Sat, Oct 3 | Bye week | — | — |
| Sat, Oct 10 | vs Duke | TBD | — |
| Sat, Oct 17 | at Virginia Tech | TBD | — |
| Sat, Oct 24 | vs Boston College | TBD | — |
| Sat, Oct 31 | at Pittsburgh | TBD | — |
| Sat, Nov 7 | vs Louisville | TBD | — |
| Sat, Nov 14 | at Clemson | TBD | — |
| Sat, Nov 21 | vs Wake Forest | TBD | — |
| Sat, Nov 28 | at Georgia | TBD | — |
Kickoff times and networks are announced roughly 12 days before each game. The Colorado opener was moved up from Saturday, September 5 to Thursday night. Louisville may shift to Friday, November 6.
The Thursday Opener
Colorado makes its first ever visit to Bobby Dodd Stadium. The two programs met for the first time in the 2025 season opener, a 27-20 Georgia Tech win in Boulder, and this is the return leg — moved to Thursday night to headline the opening of the season.
It is the marquee game of college football’s first week and the only Power Four matchup on the Thursday card.
Three Games That Define the Season
Tennessee, Sept. 12. The start of a home-and-home and the first meeting since 2017, when the Vols won 42-41 in double overtime in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. Tennessee has not played at Bobby Dodd since 1986.
At Clemson, Nov. 14. Traditionally the game that decides where Tech sits in the ACC race, and the toughest road trip on the schedule.
At Georgia, Nov. 28. Clean Old-Fashioned Hate closes the season as always. Georgia plays at South Carolina the week before, so for once the Bulldogs do not get a soft warm-up.
The California Trip
The September 26 game at Stanford is Georgia Tech’s first regular-season trip to California since playing at Southern California on October 25, 1969, and its first visit to the state of any kind since the 2005 Emerald Bowl.
It is also Tech’s first ACC matchup against one of the conference’s California members. The two previous meetings with Stanford both came in bowls — the 1991 Aloha Bowl and the 2001 Seattle Bowl, both Georgia Tech wins.
How the Schedule Sets Up
Georgia Tech plays an eight-game ACC schedule in 2026 rather than nine, one of five clubs on the shorter conference slate alongside Clemson, Boston College, Florida State and North Carolina. Even so, the Yellow Jackets face 11 Power Four opponents across the year.
The bye falls on October 3, immediately before Duke — and both teams come off an open date for that one. Tech has no game all season where the opponent holds a rest advantage.
Two ACC opponents return to Atlanta after long absences: Louisville for the first time since 2020 and Wake Forest for the first time since 2017. The trip to Pitt is Tech’s first since a 26-21 win over the 24th-ranked Panthers in 2022, which was Brent Key’s first game as interim head coach.
The Bottom Line
Georgia Tech opens Thursday, September 3 at home against Colorado and closes November 28 at Georgia. Seven home games, an eight-game ACC slate, 11 Power Four opponents and a bye on October 3. The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 9-4 season and a No. 24 final ranking.