UC Davis 2026 Football Schedule Features SMU Trip, $460K Payout

The UC Davis Aggies will travel to SMU on September 12 for a $460,000 payday, the financial and marquee centerpiece of a 2026 football schedule that balances FBS exposure against a nine-game Big Sky Conference slate.

The Aggies open the season August 29 at Portland State before heading to San Diego on September 5, completing a three-game road stretch to start the year. The SMU trip closes that opening run and represents the program's lone FBS appearance in 2026, with the guarantee money providing meaningful budget support for a program that plays its home games at UC Davis Health Stadium, which holds 10,743.

From there, the schedule turns toward the Big Sky grind. Davis gets its first home game September 19 against Stetson, one of two FCS non-conference opponents on the schedule, before welcoming Montana to campus September 26. Eastern Washington visits October 3, giving the Aggies back-to-back home Big Sky contests to open conference play at home.

The back half of the schedule leans road-heavy. UC Davis travels to Southern Utah on October 17, then hosts Northern Colorado October 24 before heading to Weber State on Halloween. The Aggies close with three straight November games: home versus Utah Tech on the 7th, at Idaho on the 14th, and a home finale against Cal Poly on November 21.

Nine of the 12 games count in the Big Sky standings, making the SMU payout all the more valuable as program infrastructure spending. For context on the future beyond 2026, the Aggies already have a trip to UCLA booked for 2027, with Washington State and North Dakota State on the non-conference docket in 2028.