COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Mountain West Conference has officially unveiled the 2026 football schedule, headlined by seven home appearances and a unique regular-season finale for the Spartans.
"Our 2026 schedule is a significant win for our fans and the San Jose community," said Jeff Konya, SJSU Director of Athletics. "Securing seven home games—a rarity in our program’s history—provides an incredible platform for our student-athletes to compete in front of a home crowd. By balancing a 13-game slate with a marquee finale against a program of North Dakota State’s caliber, we have a schedule that is both challenging and rewarding for Spartan Nation."
SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
- Conference Opener: SJSU kicks off Mountain West play on Oct. 3 against Hawai‘i in Honolulu.
- Marquee Non-Conference Addition: The Spartans have added a home non-conference matchup against new Mountain West addition North Dakota State (NDSU) to close out the regular season.
- Seven Home Games: For only the second time since 2006, the Spartans will host seven games at CEFCU Stadium, providing fans with an unprecedented home-field advantage.
- Extended Season: 2026 marks the program’s first 13-game regular season since 2017.
SCHEDULE UPDATES
- The Spartans' game at Eastern Michigan has been moved to Friday, Sept. 4.
- The previously announced home-and-home series with Jax State has been canceled.
Dates are subject to change. Television broadcast information and times are to be announced at a later date.
Spring Game (April 18) - CEFCU Stadium
- More details to follow
- Free to attend
Week 0 (Aug. 29) at USC (Big Ten)
- This opening matchup marks just the seventh meeting between the two programs
- The Spartans last traveled to face the Trojans in 2023, also in "Week Zero"
Week 1 (Friday, Sept. 4) at Eastern Michigan (MAC)
- This will be just the third-ever meeting between the schools and the first non-bowl meeting
- The Spartans last played Eastern Michigan in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in 2022
Week 2 (Sept. 12) vs. Cal Poly (FCS, Big Sky) - CEFCU Stadium
- 12-4 all-time against Cal Poly with a four-game win streak
- Last played on Sept. 9, 2023, in an SJSU 59-3 home win
Week 3 (Sept. 19) vs. Fresno State (Pac-12) - CEFCU Stadium
- Battle for the Valley
- First time meeting as non-conference opponents since 1994
Week 4 (Sept. 26) - Bye Week
Week 5 (Oct. 3) at Hawai‘i (Mountain West)
- The Spartans enter the matchup having won five straight over the Rainbow Warriors
- Last played in Hawai‘i against the Rainbow Warriors in a 35-0 win on Oct. 29, 2023
Week 6 (Oct. 10) vs. Wyoming (Mountain West) - CEFCU Stadium
- SJSU has won six of its last eight against the Cowboys
- The Spartans beat the Cowboys 24-14 on Oct. 19, 2024, from CEFCU Stadium
Week 7 (Oct. 17) at UTEP (Mountain West)
- San José State has won three straight against the Miners
- This will be the first meeting as Mountain West Conference opponents
Week 8 (Oct. 24) at Nevada (Mountain West)
- SJSU has claimed three of the last five games against the Wolf Pack
- Second season in a row that the Spartans will head to Reno
Week 9 (Oct. 31) vs. New Mexico (Mountain West) - CEFCU Stadium
- San José State has won 11 of the last 13 meetings against the Lobos
- This is the second season in a row the Lobos are coming to CEFCU Stadium, and the Spartans have won seven-straight home games against the Lobos
Week 10 (Nov. 7) vs. Northern Illinois (NIU) (Mountain West) - CEFCU Stadium
- The matchup marks the second meeting all-time
- This is the first meeting as Mountain West Conference opponents
Week 11 (Nov. 14) at Air Force (Mountain West)
- San José State won the most recent meeting in Colorado Springs, 17–7
- The Spartans have won two of the last four meetings overall
Week 12 (Nov. 21) vs. UNLV (Mountain West) - CEFCU Stadium
- The Spartans have won four of the last five contests against the Rebels
- SJSU has defeated the Rebels in seven of its last eight meetings at CEFCU Stadium
Week 13 (Nov. 28) vs. North Dakota State (NDSU) (Non-Conference - Mountain West) - CEFCU Stadium
- This is the first meeting between the schools
- In four of the last five seasons, the Spartans have ended the regular season at home
#AllSpartans