Air Force gets seven home games in 2026, the most on any service academy schedule, and three of the new Mountain West members are on it: North Dakota State comes to Falcon Stadium for its first league game on Sept. 12, the Falcons visit Northern Illinois in October, and UTEP is the home finale on a Friday night. Navy visits Oct. 3 on CBS for the first leg of the Commander in Chief’s Trophy, and the trip to Army on Nov. 7 is a rare night game at Michie Stadium.
Troy Calhoun is in his 20th season at the Academy, the longest tenure of any coach in the Mountain West. The Falcons went 4-8 in 2025 and lost to both Navy and Army, so the trophy series is a reset. The single bye falls in Week 3, which means Air Force plays 10 straight games from Sept. 26 through the Black Friday finale at New Mexico.
Games That Will Define the Falcons’ Season
| Sept 12 vs North Dakota State | The Bison’s first Mountain West game ever, at altitude, at night on FS1. NDSU arrives as one of the most decorated programs in FCS history and is now a conference rival. |
| Oct 3 vs Navy | A 10 AM Mountain kickoff on CBS opens the Commander in Chief’s Trophy race. Navy won 34-31 in Annapolis last year and has taken two straight; the Mids have held the trophy for two consecutive years. |
| Nov 7 at Army | The first Air Force game under the lights at Michie Stadium since 2006, on CBS. Army has won seven of the last nine in the series, including last year in Colorado Springs. |
| Nov 27 at New Mexico | A Black Friday afternoon finale in Albuquerque on The CW, the last of 10 consecutive games without a bye. |
How the Schedule Sets Up
The early bye is the story. Two home games, a week off, and then the Falcons play every week from late September to Thanksgiving weekend with two long trips (Nevada, Northern Illinois) surrounding the Navy game. Home dates against UNLV, UConn and San Jose State in the back half give Calhoun’s team a chance to build toward the Army trip and the Friday finish.
For the other sides of the academy games, see our Navy schedule and Army schedule. The official schedule, tickets and gameday details are on GoAirForceFalcons.com.
The Bottom Line
Seven home games, one bye, three Friday nights, and both academy rivals on CBS. After a 4-8 season, Calhoun’s 20th team gets a reshaped Mountain West and a chance to take the Commander in Chief’s Trophy back from Navy. Bookmark this page; results and kickoff times are updated throughout the season.