The college football season is around the corner as Summer practices are the only thing remaining in the offseason calendar. While conference games are far and away the best, the true Non-Conference battles are often an exciting start to the season. Heading into the season, there's 5 major Non-Conference matchups that everyone should be excited for.
The 5 best Non-Conference matchups in 2026
1) Miami at Notre Dame, Saturday, November 7th
One of the latest non-conference games in the season pits Miami and Notre Dame on November 7th. This is a rematch from last season when Miami beat Notre Dame. This helped Miami to make the College Football Playoff over Notre Dame. This also rekindles a long-term rivalry from the 1980s for the 2nd season in a row. The lasting impact of this game is huge, as the loser could be out of the 12-team College Football Playoff.
2) Oklahoma at Michigan, Saturday, September 12th
This is another rematch from last season. Oklahoma beat Michigan at home and must now travel to Michigan. This will be new Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham's 2nd game at Michigan and his 1st big test. The storylines in this game will be endless, as both teams are hoping to make the playoffs. Also, when you get two traditional blue-blood programs to play a non-conference game, it is meaningful.
3) Ohio State at Texas, Saturday, September 12th
The 3rd straight rematch from last season. Ohio State beat Texas in Columbus in a low-scoring affair. This is a massive game for Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, as they went 9-3 last year and missed the College Football Playoff. He also has Arch Manning returning as quarterback, so the hype train will be in overdrive for Texas this season.
4) Notre Dame at BYU, Saturday, October 17th
With Notre Dame and USC pausing their rivalry, Notre Dame had to find another opponent to fill their schedule, so they picked up BYU. This should be dubbed the Catholics vs. Mormons game in a nod to Notre Dame being a Catholic School and BYU being a Mormon school. On the field, this is a fun football game. Kalani Sitake has built a good program at BYU. Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman has built a strong program, as they played in the National Title Game two years ago. This is a fun game in the middle of the season.
5) Louisville vs. Ole Miss, Sunday, September 6th
The 1st Music City Kickoff game will be played in Nissan Stadium in Nashville. This is the Sunday night game on Labor Day weekend. This game is a fascinating match-up. Former Ole Miss Lane Kiffin left the program before the College Football Playoff last year to take the LSU job. Pete Golding replaced him, and he helped lead them to two playoff wins. This will be his 1st regular season game as head coach. The other sideline is Jeff Brohm, Louisville’s head coach, who has done a solid job coaching there. This will be a fun SEC vs. ACC match-up.
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