Mississippi State draws a demanding middle to its 2026 season. Between October 3 and October 31 the Bulldogs face Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma and Texas in four of five weeks — three of those on the road or against playoff-calibre opposition.
The season ends with the Egg Bowl in Oxford.
| Date | Opponent | Time · TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Sep 5 | vs Louisiana-Monroe | TBD | — |
| Sat, Sep 12 | at Minnesota | TBD | — |
| Sat, Sep 19 | at South Carolina | TBD | — |
| Sat, Sep 26 | vs Missouri | TBD | — |
| Sat, Oct 3 | vs Alabama | TBD | — |
| Sat, Oct 10 | Bye week | — | — |
| Sat, Oct 17 | at LSU | TBD | — |
| Sat, Oct 24 | vs Oklahoma | TBD | — |
| Sat, Oct 31 | at Texas | TBD | — |
| Sat, Nov 7 | vs Vanderbilt | TBD | — |
| Sat, Nov 14 | vs Auburn | TBD | — |
| Sat, Nov 21 | vs Tennessee Tech | TBD | — |
| Sat, Nov 28 | at Ole Miss (Egg Bowl) | TBD | — |
Kickoff times and TV assignments are released on a rolling basis, usually six to 12 days before each game. Nine of the 12 are SEC games under the league’s new nine-game format.
The October Gauntlet
Alabama at home on October 3, then the bye, then LSU on the road, Oklahoma at home and Texas on the road. Four games against programs that have all been in recent playoff conversations, packed into a five-week window.
The bye falls in a useful spot — immediately after Alabama and before the trip to Baton Rouge — but it is the only break in the stretch.
The Minnesota Trip
Mississippi State satisfies the SEC’s new Power Four non-conference requirement with a September 12 visit to Minnesota. Every league member must now play at least one opponent from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 or Notre Dame each season, which means 10 of the Bulldogs’ 12 games come against Power Four competition.
It is also an unusual early-season road trip north for an SEC program, and one of the more interesting non-conference pairings on the calendar.
The Egg Bowl
The rivalry closes the season as always, this year in Oxford on November 28. Ole Miss hosts, having played Wofford the week before — a soft warm-up the Bulldogs do not get, since they face Tennessee Tech on the same weekend.
The Home Slate
Seven games at Davis Wade Stadium: Louisiana-Monroe, Missouri, Alabama, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Auburn and Tennessee Tech. Five of those are SEC opponents, and Alabama and Oklahoma are the marquee visits.
The five road games are Minnesota, South Carolina, LSU, Texas and Ole Miss — a demanding away schedule with three genuinely hostile SEC environments in it.
The Bottom Line
Mississippi State opens September 5 against Louisiana-Monroe and closes November 28 at Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. Seven home games, nine SEC opponents, a single bye on October 10, and a September trip to Minnesota that fulfils the conference’s Power Four requirement.