FOX releases entire 2026 college football schedule for Friday night games

FOX Sports revealed its 2026 FOX College Football Friday schedule on Friday. It features matchups involving Big Ten and Big 12 teams.

They will broadcast some big-time matchups, including the Border Showdown between Missouri and Kansas, and the controversial matchup between Houston and Texas Tech. It also has a strong Big Ten clash between Iowa and Washington, and the Mountain West Championship on December 4. 

Fri., Sept. 4: Fresno State at USC (FOX)
Fri., Sept. 11: Missouri at Kansas (FOX)
Fri., Sept. 18: Houston at Texas Tech (FOX)
Fri., Sept. 25: Northwestern at Indiana (FOX)
Fri., Oct. 2: Penn State at Northwestern (FOX)
Fri., Oct. 9: Iowa at Washington (FOX or FS1)
Fri., Oct. 16: Washington at Purdue (FOX)
Fri., Nov. 6: Nebraska at Illinois (FOX)
Fri., Nov. 13: Illinois at UCLA (FOX)
Fri., Nov. 20: Oregon at Michigan State (FOX)
Fri., Nov. 27: West Virginia at Utah (FOX)
Fri., Dec. 4: Mountain West Championship (FOX)

Cody Campbell, Big 12 boss Brett Yormark engage in public spat over conference scheduling

Cody Campbell, who also serves as chair of the Texas Tech Board of Regents, publicly blasted Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark in early April after exposing the conference’s plan to move the Red Raiders’ Big 12 opener against Houston from Saturday to Friday, Sept. 18, in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

Campbell’s complaint was two-fold: such a move would both put Texas Tech at a disadvantage of having to play a pivotal conference game on short rest, as well as the inherent conflict with Friday night high school football games in the area, which is the lifeblood of Texas athletics, especially in West Texas.

Yormark responded April 1 by telling the Avalanche-Journal that “Cody Campbell does not run the Big 12.”

“Our Board and our ADs approved playing 12 games a year off of Saturdays in an effort to raise the profile, narrative, and viewership of Big 12 Football,”  Yormark told the Avalanche-Journal last Wednesday. “Texas Tech hosting a primetime game on Friday night delivers that.”

The war-of-words continued on April 2 when Campbell issued a statement to ESPN’s Dave Wilson, reminding the Big 12 boss who he ultimately serves: “As commissioner, he needs to remember that he works for the Presidents, and the Presidents work for the Boards. He is not the dictator of the conference. That’s not his role. It is his responsibility to advocate for his members in all cases.”

Not that any of Campbell’s concerns ultimately inhibited the Big 12’s decision to move the game, which will still be played as part of FOX’s Friday night slate.

On3’s Alex Byington contributed to this article.