Updated Saturday, September 5, 2026. All times Eastern.
Opening Saturday at the FCS level is bigger than the FBS slate. Twenty six FCS programs are on the road at FBS stadiums collecting guarantee checks, another 35 games are FCS home dates, and the HBCU classics spill into Sunday. Everything is below by window, with our watch pages linked where we have them.
| FCS at FBS | 26 games |
| FCS home games | 35 games |
| Where to watch | Most FCS home games are on ESPN+; NEC games on NEC Front Row; CAA games on FloCollege; SWAC games on SWAC TV; MEAC games on MEAC Network |
| Sunday | Labor Day Classic (ESPN2) and Orange Blossom Classic (ESPN) |
FCS Teams at FBS Stadiums
| 12:00 | Lafayette at UConn | WFSB (local) |
| 12:00 | Bryant at Army | CBSSN |
| 12:00 | New Hampshire at Syracuse | ACC Network |
| 1:00 | Youngstown State at Kentucky | SEC Network+ |
| 1:00 | Duquesne at Air Force | MW+ |
| 1:00 | SE Missouri State at Iowa State | ESPN+ |
| 2:00 | Rhode Island at Temple | ESPN+ |
| 3:00 | Tennessee State at Georgia | SEC Network+ |
| 3:30 | Furman at Tennessee | SEC Network+ |
| 3:30 | Towson at Navy | CBSSN |
| 3:30 | Maine at Appalachian State | ESPN+ |
| 4:15 | North Alabama at Arkansas | SEC Network |
| 7:00 | Abilene Christian at Texas Tech | FS1 |
| 7:00 | Austin Peay at Vanderbilt | SEC Network+ |
| 7:00 | Idaho State at Utah State | CBSSN |
| 7:00 | Nicholls at Kansas State | ESPN+ |
| 7:30 | VMI at Virginia Tech | ACC Network |
| 8:00 | Utah Tech at BYU | ESPN+ |
| 8:00 | Hampton at Maryland | BTN |
| 8:00 | South Dakota State at Northwestern | BTN |
| 9:00 | Mercyhurst at New Mexico State | ESPN+ |
| 9:30 | Northern Arizona at Arizona | ESPN+ |
| 9:30 | Portland State at San Diego State | USA Network |
| 10:00 | Morgan State at Arizona State | ESPN+ |
Thursday and Friday also had FCS visitors: Bethune-Cookman at UCF, Idaho at Utah, Eastern Illinois at Minnesota, Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Missouri, Indiana State at Purdue and Long Island at Kansas.
FCS Home Games: Afternoon
| 11:00 | Webber International at Stetson | Stetson YouTube |
| 12:00 | Southern Connecticut State at Wagner | NEC Front Row |
| 12:00 | Stonehill at New Haven | NEC Front Row |
| 12:30 | No. 10 Lehigh at Georgetown | ESPN+ |
| 1:00 | Holy Cross at Colgate | ESPN+ |
| 1:30 | Gardner-Webb at Wofford | ESPN+ |
| 2:00 | Sacred Heart at Monmouth | FloCollege |
| 3:00 | Drake at No. 3 Montana | ESPN+ |
| 3:30 | Western Carolina at Campbell | FloCollege |
| 4:00 | St. Thomas at No. 9 North Dakota | ESPN+, Midco Sports |
| 5:30 | Tusculum at ETSU | ESPN+ |
FCS Home Games: Evening
| 6:00 | Lane at Alabama State | SWAC TV |
| 6:00 | No. 23 Richmond at Howard | MEAC Network |
| 6:00 | Elizabeth City State at NC Central | MEAC Network |
| 6:00 | West Virginia State at Robert Morris | ESPN+ |
| 6:00 | No. 17 Villanova at Bucknell | ESPN+ |
| 6:00 | Delaware State at No. 19 William & Mary | ESPN+ |
| 6:00 | Elon at Davidson | ESPN+ |
| 6:00 | Presbyterian at No. 15 Mercer | ESPN+ |
| 6:00 | No. 13 Tennessee Tech at Chattanooga | ESPN+ |
| 7:00 | Miles at Alabama A&M | SWAC TV |
| 7:00 | Central State at Grambling State | SWAC TV |
| 7:00 | Kentucky State at Southern | SWAC TV |
| 7:00 | Edward Waters vs. Jackson State (Hope Labor Day Classic) | HBCU GO |
| 7:00 | Northern Iowa at Eastern Washington | ESPN+ |
| 7:00 | No. 4 Illinois State at Western Illinois | ESPN+ |
| 7:00 | Chicago State at UT Martin | ESPN+ |
| 7:00 | West Florida at No. 24 Central Arkansas | ESPN+ |
| 7:00 | Texas Wesleyan at McNeese | ESPN+ |
| 8:00 | No. 12 South Dakota at Northern Colorado | ESPN+ |
| 8:00 | Central Washington at Cal Poly | ESPN+ |
| 8:00 | Weber State at Southern Utah | ESPN+ |
| 8:00 | East Texas A&M at No. 11 Stephen F. Austin | ESPN+ |
| 8:30 | Butler at No. 1 Montana State | ESPN+ |
| 10:00 | No. 6 UC Davis at San Diego | ESPN+ |
Sunday, September 6
| 12:00 | Texas Southern vs. Prairie View A&M (Labor Day Classic) | ESPN2 |
| 3:00 | No. 22 South Carolina State vs. Florida A&M (Orange Blossom Classic, Miami Gardens) | ESPN |
Rankings are the preseason FCS top 25. Times and networks via the conference and school TV releases; kickoffs are subject to change.
What to Watch
The four games worth planning around are all in the Missouri Valley and Big Sky, the two leagues that have produced all but two national champions since 2010. Illinois State, ranked fourth, plays a Valley road game at Western Illinois at 7. Montana hosts Drake at 3 and top ranked Montana State hosts Butler at 8:30 in a pair of Pioneer League visits that should be tune ups. North Dakota, ranked ninth, opens at home against St. Thomas at 4.
Among the FCS teams on the road at FBS stadiums, Rhode Island at Temple is the upset watch, South Dakota State at Northwestern is the one at a Power 4 venue with real intrigue, and Youngstown State at Kentucky and Lafayette at UConn are both first games for new FBS head coaches.
The Bottom Line
Saturday’s FCS schedule runs from 11 a.m. to a 10 p.m. nightcap in San Diego, with 26 FCS teams at FBS stadiums and 35 FCS home games, then two HBCU classics on Sunday. Most FCS home games are on ESPN+; the guarantee games follow the host’s network. For the FBS side of the day see our Saturday schedule and our streaming guide. Results land on our live scoreboard.