Memphis Unveils 2026 12-Game Schedule Including Week Zero Trip to UNLV

Memphis Athletics published its 2026 football schedule on Feb. 26, unveiling a 12-game regular season that opens on Aug. 29 at UNLV in Week Zero, includes six home games at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium and lists eight American Athletic Conference games and four nonconference opponents. "On Thursday afternoon, Memphis football released its schedule for the 2026 season and it features eight teams who made a bowl game last season," a note in the release underlines, a striking strength-of-schedule marker heading into next fall.

The nonconference slate sends the Tigers to Las Vegas for Week Zero on Aug. 29, then brings Arkansas State to Memphis for the Sept. 5 home opener and the return of the Paint Bucket Bowl to the Bluff City for the first time since 2022. Memphis then travels to Boise State on Sept. 12 before hosting UT Martin on Sept. 19; HERO Sports frames that package as one FCS contest against UT Martin and three Group of Six matchups in UNLV, Arkansas State and Boise State, even though an initial release referenced a mix of Power 5 and Group of 5 opponents.

Memphis’ American Conference path begins after a Week Four bye with an Oct. 3 conference opener at Charlotte, followed by the first conference home game on Oct. 10 against UAB in the "Battle for the Bones." UAB's 2025 upset in Birmingham, coming in their first game after coach Trent Dilfer was fired, left the Blazers holding the trophy, and that rivalry rematch figures to be a focal point. The Tigers then play at Tulane on Oct. 16 (Friday), host East Carolina on Oct. 22 (Thursday), and welcome Army on Oct. 31 for the first meeting as conference foes and Army's first trip to Memphis since 2002. The schedule finishes with road dates at South Florida on Nov. 12 (Thursday) and Navy on Nov. 21, then a home finale against Temple on Nov. 27 or Nov. 28 during Thanksgiving weekend; the American Athletic Conference Championship is scheduled for December 5.

Scheduling quirks jump off the page: Memphis' Week Zero start creates built-in spacing, and the team will also be off on Nov. 7. "Because the Tigers play Week 0, they'll be one of the only teams in college football with two open weeks," the release notes, a structural advantage that can translate into extra recovery and additional preparation windows for position development and opponent scouting. That built-in flexibility could matter for Memphis on long road swings to Boise State, Tulane, South Florida and Navy, a road slate the program describes as tougher than its home lineup.

The Sept. 5 home opener will be the first game at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium after multi-year renovations, a milestone that dovetails with the return of the Paint Bucket Bowl and season-ticket pricing that starts at $99. With eight opponents coming off 2025 bowl berths and a balance of high-travel group of six tests and an FCS tune-up, the schedule sets tangible recruiting sell lines, revenue opportunities for the renovated stadium and a clear path to test the Tigers against conference contenders en route to the Dec. 5 conference title game. Final details still to confirm include the exact Temple date and kickoff times for TV windows, but the framework releases a roadmap for Memphis’ 2026 push.