Just a few weeks ago, Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal made it crystal clear where he stands on the college football calendar: “College football is for Saturday,” he told Kirk Herbstreit and Joey Galloway on the Nonstop podcast. His tone left little room for interpretation.
Thursday and Friday games? “That drives me bananas,” he said.
Well, the ACC schedule makers must’ve missed that episode-or chose to ignore it-because the Hurricanes’ freshly released 2026 schedule features four games that don’t fall on a Saturday. That’s right: one Thursday, three Fridays, and a whole lot of midweek football for a coach who’d rather keep things traditional.
Let’s break it down.
A Non-Saturday Gauntlet
The Hurricanes’ season opens on Friday, Sept. 4, with a cross-country trip to face Stanford in Palo Alto. That’s a long haul to start the year, and it sets the tone for a stretch that’s anything but routine.
Miami then returns home for a Thursday night matchup against Florida A&M on Sept. 10-just six days later. That’s a quick turnaround, especially when you factor in the travel and recovery from a West Coast opener.
Then comes another Friday game on Sept. 18, this time on the road against Wake Forest. That’s three games in 15 days, two of them on the road, and none of them on a Saturday. For a team trying to build rhythm early in the season, that’s a scheduling curveball.
And it doesn’t stop there. Miami’s final non-Saturday game comes late in the year, when they host Virginia Tech on Friday, Nov. 20, just eight days before closing out the regular season against Boston College on Saturday, Nov. 28.
A Broader Trend
Now, to be fair, this isn’t just a Miami problem. Weeknight games have become a staple of the college football landscape, driven largely by television networks hungry for standalone windows.
The ACC, like other conferences, is leaning into the exposure that comes from playing on nights when there’s less competition for eyeballs. Friday night lights aren’t just for high school anymore.
But that doesn’t make it any easier for coaches like Cristobal, who view Saturday as sacred ground for the college game. It’s not just about tradition-it’s about routine, preparation, and recovery.
Playing on short weeks, especially with travel involved, can throw off everything from film study to physical readiness. And when you’re trying to compete at the highest level, those margins matter.
The Full 2026 Slate
Here’s how the full schedule shakes out for the Hurricanes:
- Fri., Sept. 4 - at Stanford
- Thu., Sept. 10 - vs.
Florida A&M
- Fri., Sept. 18 - at Wake Forest
- Sat., Sept. 26 - vs. Central Michigan
- Sat., Oct. 3 - at Clemson
- Sat., Oct. 17 - vs.
Florida State
- Sat., Oct. 24 - vs.
Pittsburgh
- Sat., Oct. 31 - at North Carolina
- Sat., Nov. 7 - at Notre Dame
- Sat., Nov. 14 - vs.
Duke
- Fri., Nov. 20 - vs.
Virginia Tech
- Sat., Nov. 28 - vs.
Boston College
There’s no doubt the schedule features some marquee matchups-Clemson, Florida State, Notre Dame-and a few grueling stretches, especially that October run of Clemson, Florida State, Pitt, and UNC. But the early and late non-Saturday games stand out, especially in light of Cristobal’s comments.
Final Thoughts
Cristobal’s frustration is understandable. Coaches are creatures of habit, and so are their teams.
Playing on Fridays and Thursdays disrupts the weekly rhythm, and when you’re trying to build a consistent product on the field, that matters. But in today’s college football world, the calendar is often dictated by television, not tradition.
For Miami, the challenge will be adapting. If the Hurricanes want to contend in the ACC-and beyond-they’ll need to find a way to win no matter what day of the week it is. Whether Cristobal likes it or not, Thursday and Friday are officially part of the plan.