The 2026 SMU football schedule features 13 games, including a Labor Day opener at Florida State on Monday, September 7, 2026, and a marquee road matchup at Notre Dame on Saturday, November 21, 2026.
The Mustangs will play five home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in their third season as Atlantic Coast Conference members under head coach Rhett Lashlee.
Southern Methodist University enters its fifth season under Lashlee with nine ACC conference games and three non-conference opponents. The schedule includes no Texas-based opponents for the first time in program history, marking a significant shift from historical scheduling patterns tied to conference realignment.
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2026 SMU Mustangs Football Schedule: Full Game List
The Atlantic Coast Conference released the complete opponent slate on Sunday, January 26, 2026. Specific kickoff times and television assignments remain pending ACC broadcast agreements, typically finalized during the summer of 2026.
| Date | Opponent | Location | Conference | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, September 7 | at Florida State | Tallahassee, FL | ACC | Doak Campbell Stadium |
| Saturday, September 12 | UC Davis | Dallas, TX | Non-conference | Gerald J. Ford Stadium |
| Saturday, September 19 | at Louisville | Louisville, KY | ACC | Cardinal Stadium |
| Saturday, September 26 | Missouri State | Dallas, TX | Non-conference | Gerald J. Ford Stadium |
| Saturday, October 3 | Boston College | Dallas, TX | ACC | Gerald J. Ford Stadium |
| Saturday, October 10 | BYE WEEK | — | — | — |
| Saturday, October 17 | Virginia | Dallas, TX | ACC | Gerald J. Ford Stadium |
| Friday/Saturday, October 23-24 | California | Dallas, TX | ACC | Gerald J. Ford Stadium |
| Friday/Saturday, October 30-31 | at Syracuse | Syracuse, NY | ACC | JMA Wireless Dome |
| Friday/Saturday, November 6-7 | Virginia Tech | Dallas, TX | ACC | Gerald J. Ford Stadium |
| Saturday, November 14 | Wake Forest | Dallas, TX | ACC | Gerald J. Ford Stadium |
| Saturday, November 21 | at Notre Dame | South Bend, IN | Non-conference | Notre Dame Stadium |
| Saturday, November 28 | at Stanford | Stanford, CA | ACC | Stanford Stadium |
The schedule includes eight ACC home games and five conference road games, reflecting the league’s transition to a nine-game conference format beginning in 2026. Three games in late October and early November may shift to Friday evening slots pending ACC Network television selections.
SMU Football Schedule 2026: Conference and Non-Conference Breakdown
ACC Conference Games (9 Total)
The Mustangs face nine Atlantic Coast Conference opponents in 2026, one additional conference game compared to the 2024 and 2025 seasons. This expansion eliminates one non-conference scheduling slot.
Home ACC Opponents (5 games):
- Boston College (Saturday, October 3)
- Virginia (Saturday, October 17)
- California (Friday/Saturday, October 23-24)
- Virginia Tech (Friday/Saturday, November 6-7)
- Wake Forest (Saturday, November 14)
Road ACC Opponents (4 games):
- Florida State (Monday, September 7)
- Louisville (Saturday, September 19)
- Syracuse (Friday/Saturday, October 30-31)
- Stanford (Saturday, November 28)
The Monday night season opener at Florida State represents the first Labor Day ACC matchup for the Mustangs since joining the conference. The game will likely receive prime-time television coverage on ESPN or ABC under the ACC’s media rights agreement.
Non-Conference Schedule (3 Games)
SMU hosts two Football Championship Subdivision opponents at Gerald J. Ford Stadium and travels to independent Notre Dame for a nationally significant matchup.
UC Davis (Saturday, September 12) — The Aggies compete in the Big Sky Conference at the FCS level. This home opener marks the first meeting between the programs.
Missouri State (Saturday, September 26) — The Bears play in the Missouri Valley Football Conference at the FCS level. SMU and Missouri State have no prior matchup history.
at Notre Dame (Saturday, November 21) — This road game represents a scheduling agreement between the Atlantic Coast Conference and Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish maintain football independence while competing in ACC championships. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 10-3, with the last meeting occurring in 1987.
The absence of Texas-based opponents eliminates traditional regional matchups. The Battle for the Iron Skillet rivalry against TCU remains paused due to conference separation, with TCU competing in the Big 12 Conference.
Key SMU Football Schedule Dates and Notable Games
Labor Day Opener: at Florida State (Monday, September 7, 2026)
The Mustangs open the season on Monday night in Tallahassee against Florida State, marking their first Labor Day weekend conference game. Doak Campbell Stadium seats 79,560, presenting a hostile road environment for the season debut.
Florida State won the 2023 ACC Championship but missed the College Football Playoff. The Seminoles compete in the ACC Atlantic Division, though conference divisional structure may adjust with the expanded 2026 format.
Home Opener: UC Davis (Saturday, September 12, 2026)
Gerald J. Ford Stadium hosts the 2026 home opener six days after the Florida State trip. The game provides a recovery opportunity following the road opener and allows the Mustangs to showcase new stadium enhancements.
The Garry Weber End Zone Complex, a $100 million facility expansion completed in 2024, debuts new premium seating options for the 2026 season. These additions include west-side luxury loges and east-side cabana seating areas.
Marquee Non-Conference: at Notre Dame (Saturday, November 21, 2026)
The late-season trip to South Bend represents the schedule’s highest-profile non-conference matchup. Notre Dame Stadium seats 77,622 and routinely sells out for home games.
This game replaced a previously scheduled home matchup against Virginia, which moved to an earlier October date in Dallas. The ACC and Notre Dame maintain a scheduling partnership requiring the Fighting Irish to play five ACC opponents annually.
SMU and Notre Dame last met on September 26, 1987, when the Fighting Irish won 38-0 in Dallas. The programs competed annually from 1984 to 1987 when SMU participated in the Southwest Conference.
November Home Stretch: Virginia Tech and Wake Forest
The Mustangs host back-to-back home conference games in early to mid-November. Virginia Tech visits on Friday or Saturday, November 6-7, followed by Wake Forest on Saturday, November 14.
Both games feature ACC opponents from the league’s eastern geography. Virginia Tech competes from Blacksburg, Virginia, while Wake Forest represents Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
This November home stretch precedes the Notre Dame road trip and season-ending journey to Stanford. The scheduling provides potential Senior Day celebration opportunities at Ford Stadium.
Gerald J. Ford Stadium: 2026 Venue Information and Upgrades
Gerald J. Ford Stadium serves as the home venue for SMU football, located on the university campus in University Park, Texas, within the Dallas metropolitan area. The facility seats 32,000 to 33,200 spectators, making it the smallest venue in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Stadium Capacity and New Premium Seating
The 2026 season introduces new luxury seating options through the Garry Weber End Zone Complex expansion:
West Side Premium Loges — These climate-controlled suites offer premium amenities and season ticket packages priced at $25,050 per seat for the 2026 season.
East Side Cabanas — Open-air premium seating areas with enhanced viewing positions and exclusive food and beverage service.
General Admission Capacity — Standard seating accounts for approximately 27,000 seats after premium area allocations. Student section allocation comprises roughly 5,000 seats.
The stadium’s urban campus location in University Park limits expansion beyond current capacity. The venue sits 5 miles north of downtown Dallas with access via Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) rail service to Mockingbird Station.
Parking and Game Day Access
Boulevard Avenue serves as the primary tailgating area for SMU home games. Parking lots open four hours before kickoff for standard permit holders and six hours before kickoff for premium parking pass holders.
DART rail provides public transportation from downtown Dallas and DFW Airport to Mockingbird Station, located 0.3 miles from the stadium. Game day shuttle service operates from the DART station to stadium gates.
On-campus parking requires advance purchase through SMU Athletics. Visitor parking options include Highland Park Village commercial lots 1 mile from the stadium and off-campus residential street parking where permitted.
SMU Football 2026: Coaching Staff and Program Context
Head Coach Rhett Lashlee
Rhett Lashlee enters his fifth season as SMU head coach in 2026. The university extended Lashlee’s contract through 2032 following successful 2024 and 2025 campaigns.
Lashlee’s offensive system emphasizes tempo and passing efficiency. Prior to joining SMU, he served as offensive coordinator at Miami (2020) and Connecticut (2017-2019). His coaching background includes coordinator roles under Gus Malzahn at Auburn and high school coaching in Arkansas.
The Mustangs won 31 games across the 2024 and 2025 seasons under Lashlee’s direction, including conference championship appearances. The program’s success attracted 13 Football Bowl Subdivision transfer portal additions for the 2026 roster.
Roster and Recruiting
The 2026 SMU roster features significant transfer portal activity and recruiting momentum from the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. The Mustangs signed multiple 4-star recruits in the 2026 recruiting class, focusing on in-state talent from Texas high school programs.
Notable additions include athletes from traditional Texas recruiting grounds in the DFW area. The program’s elevation to Power Four conference status through ACC membership enhances recruiting positioning against Big 12 competitors.
The offensive system requires quarterback mobility and decision-making speed. Defensive scheme emphasizes multiple coverage variations and pressure packages.
ACC Nine-Game Conference Schedule: Format Change Impact
The Atlantic Coast Conference adopted a nine-game conference schedule beginning in 2026, expanding from eight conference games in previous seasons. This change affects all 17 ACC member institutions.
Schedule Construction and Opponent Rotation
The nine-game format includes three protected annual opponents and six rotating conference matchups. SMU’s protected opponents rotate on a periodic basis rather than remaining fixed annually.
The expanded conference schedule eliminated one non-conference game slot from previous years. This reduction prevents SMU from scheduling a fourth non-conference opponent like Baylor, which appeared on earlier schedule projections.
Conference games occur across 13 weeks from early September through late November. The schedule includes one bye week on Saturday, October 10, positioned at the season’s midpoint.
Television and Broadcast Rights
ACC media rights agreements with ESPN and ABC Networks govern broadcast selections. Games appear on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ACC Network, and the ESPN+ streaming platform, depending on competitive significance and time slot availability.
Kickoff times and television assignments for the 2026 season typically receive announcement 6-12 days before game dates for non-premium time slots. Marquee matchups receive earlier broadcast selections during the summer of 2026.
The Monday night Florida State opener will likely appear on ESPN in prime time. Late-season games with conference championship implications may receive broadcast window upgrades.
Tickets, Season Passes, and Fan Information for 2026
SMU Football Season Tickets
Season ticket packages for 2026 home games go on sale through the SMU Athletics ticket office beginning in spring 2026. Seven home games comprise the season ticket package, including five ACC conference opponents and two non-conference matchups.
Pricing tiers vary by seating location:
- Premium loges and cabanas require separate annual commitments starting at $25,050
- Club seating sections range from $1,500 to $3,000 per seat for the season
- General admission seating starts at $350 per seat for seven home games
- Student tickets require a valid SMU student identification
Season ticket holders receive priority access to ACC Championship Game tickets and College Football Playoff ticket allocations if SMU qualifies for postseason competition.
Single Game Tickets
Individual game tickets become available following season ticket holder renewals and new purchases. High-demand games against Boston College, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest may sell limited general admission inventory.
The UC Davis and Missouri State home games typically offer the most available single-game ticket inventory. These games provide opportunities for casual fans and families seeking lower-priced attendance options.
Away Game Travel Information
Florida State (Monday, September 7) — Tallahassee lies 660 miles east of Dallas. Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH) serves the area with connecting flights through major hubs. Game day hotel availability requires advance reservations due to Labor Day weekend demand.
Notre Dame (Saturday, November 21) — South Bend sits 960 miles northeast of Dallas. South Bend International Airport (SBD) offers limited direct service, with Chicago O’Hare (ORD) providing major hub connections 90 miles west. November weather in northern Indiana averages 40-45°F with precipitation likelihood.
Stanford (Saturday, November 28) — Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California, lies 1,490 miles west of Dallas. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and San Jose International Airport (SJC) serve the Bay Area. Thanksgiving weekend travel requires early planning due to holiday demand.
Frequently Asked Questions About the SMU Football Schedule 2026
When does SMU play Notre Dame in 2026?
SMU travels to Notre Dame on Saturday, November 21, 2026. The game takes place at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. Kickoff time and television network assignments remain pending ACC broadcast selections.
Why doesn’t SMU play TCU in 2026?
The Battle for the Iron Skillet rivalry between SMU and TCU does not appear on the 2026 schedule due to conference separation. SMU competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference while TCU plays in the Big 12 Conference. The nine-game ACC conference schedule limits non-conference scheduling flexibility, preventing annual rivalry continuation.
How many home games does SMU play in 2026?
The Mustangs host seven home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in 2026. This includes five ACC conference home games (Boston College, Virginia, California, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest) and two non-conference opponents (UC Davis, Missouri State).
What is SMU’s first home game in 2026?
SMU’s 2026 home opener occurs on Saturday, September 12, against UC Davis. The game follows the season-opening road trip to Florida State on Monday, September 7.
When can I buy SMU football tickets for 2026?
Season ticket renewals begin in spring 2026 through the SMU Athletics ticket office. Single-game tickets typically go on sale in the summer of 2026, following season ticket holder purchase periods. Premium seating options in new luxury areas require separate annual commitments.
Does SMU play any Friday night games in 2026?
Three games may move to Friday evening time slots: California (October 23-24), Syracuse (October 30-31), and Virginia Tech (November 6-7). The ACC Network determines Friday night selections based on television programming needs.
How can I watch SMU football games in 2026?
ACC media rights place games on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, ACC Network, or ESPN+. Specific broadcast assignments receive announcement closer to game dates. All SMU games will appear on at least one ESPN-affiliated platform.
Schedule Strength Analysis and 2026 Season Outlook
The 2026 SMU football schedule presents balanced difficulty with road challenges at traditional ACC powers and manageable home conference opponents. Strength of schedule calculations depend on the 2025 season results from opponents.
Toughest Opponents
Florida State — The Seminoles maintain top-25 program status and play at home for the season opener. Road conference openers present significant challenges, particularly on short rest during Labor Day week.
Notre Dame — The Fighting Irish consistently rank among college football’s top 15 programs. Playing in South Bend in late November creates weather challenges and hostile environment factors.
Louisville — The Cardinals compete in the ACC Atlantic Division with a strong recent performance. The Saturday, September 19 road game represents an early conference test.
Opportunity Games
Virginia — The Cavaliers host SMU on Saturday, October 17 in Dallas. Virginia’s recent struggles in ACC competition create potential win opportunities for the Mustangs.
Wake Forest — The Demon Deacons visit Ford Stadium on Saturday, November 14, for SMU’s final home game. Wake Forest’s smaller program resources and enrollment create competitive parity.
California — The Golden Bears travel from Berkeley to Dallas for an October 23-24 matchup. Cross-country travel from the Pacific time zone to the Central time zone presents logistical challenges for visiting West Coast teams.
The schedule includes seven home games, providing home-field advantage for 54% of regular-season contests. SMU’s 2024 and 2025 home records exceeded 85% win rate at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
Historical Context: SMU’s Transition to ACC Competition
Southern Methodist University joined the Atlantic Coast Conference on July 1, 2024, departing the American Athletic Conference after 10 seasons. The move elevated SMU to Power Four conference status.
Conference Realignment Timeline
2013-2023 — SMU competed in the American Athletic Conference following the dissolution of the Big East. The Mustangs won 64 games across 11 AAC seasons.
July 2024 — SMU, California, and Stanford joined the ACC in conference expansion alongside Clemson, Florida State, Miami, and other traditional ACC members.
2024-2025 Seasons — The Mustangs played an eight-game ACC conference schedule in their first two seasons. The program won 31 combined games across these years.
2026 — The nine-game conference schedule debuts for all ACC members, creating standardized conference competition levels.
Impact on Regional Rivalries
The ACC transition eliminated annual competition against Texas-based opponents. Historical rivalries with TCU (Battle for the Iron Skillet), Baylor, Texas, and Texas A&M no longer appear on regular season schedules.
TCU defeated SMU 66-42 in the final Battle for the Iron Skillet on September 21, 2024. The trophy series began in 1915, creating 109 total meetings. Future scheduling between the programs remains uncertain due to conference separation.
The absence of Texas opponents on the 2026 schedule represents the first occurrence in program history. Geographic separation from regional competitors shifts SMU’s competitive identity toward national ACC alignment rather than regional Texas football culture.
Schedule Updates: The Atlantic Coast Conference announced the 2026 SMU football schedule on Sunday, January 26, 2026. Kickoff times and television network assignments will be announced during the summer of 2026, following ACC broadcast window selections. Updates appear on the official SMU Athletics website at smumustangs.com.
