The CW Network announced its most ambitious college football schedule to date, committing to 32 regular-season games and more than 140 hours of live coverage this fall. This marks the largest slate in the network’s history and underscores its ongoing transformation into a destination for sports programming as it battles industry-wide cord-cutting challenges.
The expanded football presence builds on The CW’s strategy to attract younger viewers and retain linear-television audiences by offering consistent, high-quality live sports content that streaming services often struggle to replicate at scale. By securing rights across the Atlantic Coast Conference, Mountain West Conference, and the restructured Pac-12, the network has assembled a mix of traditional powers, rising programs, and geographically diverse matchups designed to deliver strong national appeal and late-night viewing options.
The 2026 season opens on Saturday, August 29, with a Week 0 ACC non-conference contest as New Mexico State travels to Florida State in primetime. The following week brings the Mountain West to The CW with a Saturday doubleheader on September 5, including Fordham at North Dakota State in the afternoon and UNLV at Hawai‘i in the late slot. Week 2 introduces the new Pac-12 to the network when Texas-San Antonio visits Texas State on September 12.
Subsequent weeks feature several notable games. In Week 3, Stanford faces Duke in the network’s first ACC conference matchup of the season, followed by a Pac-12 After Dark game pitting defending Sun Belt champion and College Football Playoff participant James Madison against San Diego State. Week 4 includes Miami hosting Central Michigan in what promises to be a high-profile home game for the defending national champions.
Mid-season highlights include multiple Pac-12 battles in Week 6, such as Washington State at Utah State on Friday night and Boise State at Fresno State the next evening. Mountain West rivalry action intensifies in Week 11 with UNLV visiting New Mexico and North Dakota State taking on Hawai‘i in a late-night contest. Additional games throughout the fall showcase teams like Wyoming, Texas State, Colorado State, Air Force, and Northern Illinois, providing exposure for programs across multiple conferences.
The complete announced schedule includes:
- August 29: New Mexico State at Florida State
- September 5: Miami (OH) at Pittsburgh, Fordham at North Dakota State, UNLV at Hawai‘i
- September 12: Old Dominion at Virginia Tech, Texas-San Antonio at Texas State, Montana State at Nevada
- September 19: Stanford at Duke, James Madison at San Diego State
- September 26: Hawai‘i at Wyoming, Central Michigan at Miami, Rice at Fresno State
- October 3: Wyoming at North Dakota State, Texas State at San Diego State
- October 9: Washington State at Utah State
- October 10: North Dakota State at UNLV, Boise State at Fresno State
- October 17: Northern Illinois at Wyoming
- October 23: Air Force at Wyoming
- October 24: San Diego State at Colorado State
- October 31: Texas State at Boise State
- November 7: Texas State at Oregon State
- November 14: Fresno State at Texas State, UNLV at New Mexico, North Dakota State at Hawai‘i
- November 20: Texas-El Paso at Air Force
- November 21: Northern Illinois at North Dakota State, Colorado State at Fresno State
- November 27: Air Force at New Mexico
Two additional Pac-12 Week 13 flex games and further ACC matchups will be announced later.
Every game will air live nationwide on The CW’s broadcast stations and stream simultaneously on the ESPN App for subscribers to the ESPN Unlimited plan. This dual availability maximizes reach in an era when viewers increasingly expect flexibility across linear and digital platforms.
The CW’s deepening investment in college football reflects broader industry trends. As traditional cable subscriptions decline, networks are turning to sports rights to maintain relevance and advertising revenue. Live events remain one of the few programming categories that reliably draw audiences to linear television, offering advertisers a captive, engaged demographic. By expanding its football inventory so dramatically, The CW positions itself as a vital outlet for conference realignment-era college sports while giving fans access to compelling games that might otherwise receive limited national exposure.
This schedule represents a significant step in the network’s evolution. What began as a modest foray into sports programming has grown into a robust fall calendar that complements its entertainment lineup and strengthens its competitive standing. With 29 games and extensive coverage hours, The CW is betting that dedicated sports content can help slow cord-cutting and build long-term viewer loyalty in a fragmented media landscape. Fans can look forward to a fall filled with conference battles, underdog stories, and late-night football action exclusively on The CW.
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