Upcoming Event: Football at No. 19 South Florida on October 18, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
Football
at No. 19 South Florida
Florida Atlantic University Athletics
2026 American Opponents Announced for Florida Atlantic
10/14/2025 12:22:00 PM | Football
IRVING, Texas – The American has announced the pairings for the conference's 2026 football schedule, with Florida Atlantic taking on eight opponents in its fourth season as a league member.
For the first time as American opponents, the Owls will host Navy, Rice, and UTSA, while South Florida will make its second trip to Flagler Credit Union Stadium in three seasons. FAU will hit the road to face Army, East Carolina, North Texas, and Tulsa.
The scheduling format fulfills strategic and practical objectives set by the conference. There are no repeat matchups played at the same site from 2025 to 2026, and no team will avoid a particular opponent in consecutive years. Each team will play at least one road game in the Eastern and Central time zones and will have at least one road game in the state of Texas in a two-year span.
The American will continue with a single-division format in 2026. The top two teams in the final regular-season standings will qualify for the American Championship Game.
The full 2026 conference schedule will be announced in February.
QUOTABLE
Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Zach Kittley
"The first thing that pops out is facing three triple option offenses [Navy, Rice, UTSA] …You have to go play a really good North Texas team in Denton, which will be a fun one for us, we have some Texas guys going to go back to Texas. UTSA at home, which will be a lot of fun having them here. We're at East Carolina which is a great college town, great college environment there, and then South Florida again. You're talking some really top tier teams."
2026 AMERICAN FOOTBALL SCHEDULE PAIRINGS
Florida Atlantic
Home: Navy, Rice, South Florida, UTSA
Away: Army, East Carolina, North Texas, Tulsa
FOLLOW THE TEAM
Stay informed by reading FAUSports.com or through football's Twitter and Instagram accounts @FAUFootball.
For the first time as American opponents, the Owls will host Navy, Rice, and UTSA, while South Florida will make its second trip to Flagler Credit Union Stadium in three seasons. FAU will hit the road to face Army, East Carolina, North Texas, and Tulsa.
The scheduling format fulfills strategic and practical objectives set by the conference. There are no repeat matchups played at the same site from 2025 to 2026, and no team will avoid a particular opponent in consecutive years. Each team will play at least one road game in the Eastern and Central time zones and will have at least one road game in the state of Texas in a two-year span.
The American will continue with a single-division format in 2026. The top two teams in the final regular-season standings will qualify for the American Championship Game.
The full 2026 conference schedule will be announced in February.
QUOTABLE
Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Zach Kittley
"The first thing that pops out is facing three triple option offenses [Navy, Rice, UTSA] …You have to go play a really good North Texas team in Denton, which will be a fun one for us, we have some Texas guys going to go back to Texas. UTSA at home, which will be a lot of fun having them here. We're at East Carolina which is a great college town, great college environment there, and then South Florida again. You're talking some really top tier teams."
2026 AMERICAN FOOTBALL SCHEDULE PAIRINGS
Florida Atlantic
Home: Navy, Rice, South Florida, UTSA
Away: Army, East Carolina, North Texas, Tulsa
FOLLOW THE TEAM
Stay informed by reading FAUSports.com or through football's Twitter and Instagram accounts @FAUFootball.
Inside the Owls Burrow 2025-26 #10
Thursday, October 16
Meet Devin Santana
Wednesday, October 15
Wendol Philord Mic'd Up
Wednesday, October 15
2025 Florida Atlantic Hall of Fame Ceremony
Wednesday, October 15