Idaho's 2026 Schedule Features Nine Big Sky Games, FBS Trip to Utah
Idaho's 2026 schedule includes a $600,000 payday at Utah on Sept. 5, bookending a 12-game slate heavy with Big Sky road tests.
The University of Idaho's 2026 football schedule is built around nine Big Sky Conference games, a pair of home tune-ups against FCS non-conference opponents, and one high-profile road trip to Salt Lake City that comes with a $600,000 payout.
The Vandals open the season Aug. 28 on the road at Cal Poly before traveling to face Utah on Sept. 5 in what figures to be the marquee nonconference test of the year. That FBS date at Utah is the only game of its kind on the schedule, and the $600,000 payout reported by HERO Sports makes it a financially significant early-season commitment for the program. Home dates against Lamar on Sept. 12 and Abilene Christian on Sept. 19 round out a four-week stretch before the conference grind begins.
Idaho does not play another game after the Abilene Christian matchup until Oct. 3, when Montana State comes to the Kibbie Dome. That home date against the Bobcats opens a six-week run of Big Sky play that includes road trips to Weber State on Oct. 10 and Montana on Oct. 17, two of the more demanding venues in the conference. Southern Utah visits Moscow on Oct. 24 before Idaho heads to Portland State on Oct. 31.
The final three weeks keep the pressure on. Eastern Washington comes to the Kibbie Dome on Nov. 7, followed by UC Davis on Nov. 14. Idaho closes the regular season Nov. 21 on the road at Idaho State, the kind of rivalry finale that can reshape a season's legacy regardless of what came before it.
Of the nine Big Sky matchups, five are scheduled at the Kibbie Dome: Montana State, Southern Utah, Eastern Washington, UC Davis, and the opener at Cal Poly being the lone conference road game before the October stretch. The full conference slate includes every marquee Big Sky program: Montana, Montana State, Weber State, Eastern Washington, and Idaho State all appear on the schedule, a gauntlet that will define Idaho's standing in the conference by November.
Kickoff times and television or streaming designations have not yet been announced.
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