Football Announces 2026 Schedule
1/13/2026 1:00:00 PM | Football
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin football program released its 2026 schedule which features five non-conference matchups before entering its seven-game OVC-Big South slate next fall.
Year 21 of the Jason Simpson Era will feature a pair of Football Bowl Subdivision opponents along with three FCS non-conference matchups on the docket before heading into its open week the first week of October. Association play begins on Oct. 10 and runs through Nov. 21 with seven matchups highlighting the OVC-Big South schedule.
UT Martin opens the season with back-to-back home games beginning with a FCS matchup against United Athletic Conference member Central Arkansas on Thursday, Aug. 27 in the first meeting between the two squads since 2014. Week 2 features a clash against first-year program Chicago State as a FCS independent on Saturday, Sept. 5.
Four consecutive road games litter the schedule throughout the rest of September and into October. A first-time meeting against Big 12 member West Viriginia opens the road trip on Saturday, Sept. 12 before the Skyhawks square off against back-to-back FBS members with a short trip down I-40 to Memphis out of the American Athletic Conference on Saturday, Sept. 19.
An old rivalry is renewed in Week 5 as the Skyhawks travel to former OVC foe and current UAC member Austin Peay on Saturday, Sept. 26. The two programs have met 70 times in series history with UT Martin holding a 41-27-2 advantage in the all-time series.
OVC-Big South Football Association play kicks off for the Skyhawks after the open week when UT Martin travels to Nissan Stadium to take on Tennessee State in a battle for the Sgt. York Trophy on Saturday, Oct. 10. The Skyhawks enter the 36th all-time meeting riding a five-game winning streak against the Tigers.
UT Martin will host its annual Hall of Fame Game on Saturday, Oct. 17 when returning home for the first time in 42 days for a matchup against Gardner-Webb. A week later, the squad will load the buses once again and travel to Western Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Homecoming will be celebrated on the beautiful UT Martin campus on Saturday, Oct. 31 when the Eastern Illinois Panthers come to town. The long-time rivals have met every year since 1995 while the Skyhawks have won seven-straight against the Panthers.
Road games sandwich the final three weeks of the season for the Skyhawks. UT Martin will open the month of November with a trip to Charleston Southern on Saturday, Nov. 7 before the Skyhawks cap off their home slate with a matchup against Lindenwood on Saturday, Nov. 14.
The regular season comes to a close with the team's premier conference matchup with a road trip to Southeast Missouri on Saturday, Nov. 21. UT Martin holds a narrow 21-20 advantage in the all-time series but is looking for its first road win in Cape Girardeau since 2017.
UT Martin is coming off a 6-6 campaign in 2025 while boasting a 6-2 conference record. The Skyhawks won four consecutive conference championships from 2021-24 and boast the best winning percentage against league opponents since 2021 with a 27-6 mark (81.8 percent).
Year 21 of the Jason Simpson Era will feature a pair of Football Bowl Subdivision opponents along with three FCS non-conference matchups on the docket before heading into its open week the first week of October. Association play begins on Oct. 10 and runs through Nov. 21 with seven matchups highlighting the OVC-Big South schedule.
UT Martin opens the season with back-to-back home games beginning with a FCS matchup against United Athletic Conference member Central Arkansas on Thursday, Aug. 27 in the first meeting between the two squads since 2014. Week 2 features a clash against first-year program Chicago State as a FCS independent on Saturday, Sept. 5.
Four consecutive road games litter the schedule throughout the rest of September and into October. A first-time meeting against Big 12 member West Viriginia opens the road trip on Saturday, Sept. 12 before the Skyhawks square off against back-to-back FBS members with a short trip down I-40 to Memphis out of the American Athletic Conference on Saturday, Sept. 19.
An old rivalry is renewed in Week 5 as the Skyhawks travel to former OVC foe and current UAC member Austin Peay on Saturday, Sept. 26. The two programs have met 70 times in series history with UT Martin holding a 41-27-2 advantage in the all-time series.
OVC-Big South Football Association play kicks off for the Skyhawks after the open week when UT Martin travels to Nissan Stadium to take on Tennessee State in a battle for the Sgt. York Trophy on Saturday, Oct. 10. The Skyhawks enter the 36th all-time meeting riding a five-game winning streak against the Tigers.
UT Martin will host its annual Hall of Fame Game on Saturday, Oct. 17 when returning home for the first time in 42 days for a matchup against Gardner-Webb. A week later, the squad will load the buses once again and travel to Western Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Homecoming will be celebrated on the beautiful UT Martin campus on Saturday, Oct. 31 when the Eastern Illinois Panthers come to town. The long-time rivals have met every year since 1995 while the Skyhawks have won seven-straight against the Panthers.
Road games sandwich the final three weeks of the season for the Skyhawks. UT Martin will open the month of November with a trip to Charleston Southern on Saturday, Nov. 7 before the Skyhawks cap off their home slate with a matchup against Lindenwood on Saturday, Nov. 14.
The regular season comes to a close with the team's premier conference matchup with a road trip to Southeast Missouri on Saturday, Nov. 21. UT Martin holds a narrow 21-20 advantage in the all-time series but is looking for its first road win in Cape Girardeau since 2017.
UT Martin is coming off a 6-6 campaign in 2025 while boasting a 6-2 conference record. The Skyhawks won four consecutive conference championships from 2021-24 and boast the best winning percentage against league opponents since 2021 with a 27-6 mark (81.8 percent).
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