Stanford’s 2026 Football Schedule: Tavita Pritchard Era Opens with Big Tests, Coast-to-Coast Challenges
The ACC dropped its full 2026 football schedule Monday night, and for Stanford, it’s officially go-time. With the dates now locked in, the Cardinal’s first season under new head coach Tavita Pritchard is set - and it’s a compelling blend of marquee matchups, cross-country road trips, and a few first-time showdowns that could shape the program’s trajectory in its second year as a member of the ACC.
Let’s break it down.
Week 0 Kickoff: Familiar Foe, New Setting
Stanford opens the season early with a Week 0 clash on Saturday, August 29, hosting Hawai’i at Stanford Stadium. It’s the third time in four years these two teams have opened the season against each other, but this one’s different - it’s the first time the Rainbow Warriors make the trip to The Farm in this current series. For Pritchard, it’s a manageable but meaningful opening test to set the tone before diving into conference play.
ACC Debut: Miami Comes to Town
The Cardinal won’t have to wait long to make a statement. Just six days later, on Friday, September 4, Miami - fresh off its appearance in the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship - comes to Palo Alto. The Hurricanes fell to Indiana in that title game, but they’ll be looking to reload and reassert themselves in the ACC hierarchy.
This will be the first time Miami takes the field since that championship loss, and Stanford will be trying to spoil the return. It also marks the second straight year Stanford hosts the previous season’s national runner-up, after welcoming Notre Dame in 2025. That’s a tough early barometer, but also a golden opportunity.
First Road Trip: Defending Champs Await
After the home-heavy start, Stanford hits the road on Saturday, September 19 to face Duke - the reigning ACC champions. The Blue Devils are coming off a breakthrough season and will be looking to defend their crown. It’s a tall order for the Cardinal, especially with this being their first of five games in the Eastern Time Zone.
That’s right - Stanford’s 2026 schedule is about as bi-coastal as it gets.
September Closes with a First-Ever Matchup
The Cardinal return home on Saturday, September 26 to host Georgia Tech, a team that had a blistering start to 2025, opening 8-0 and climbing as high as No. 7 in the AP Poll before cooling off and landing in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. This will be the first-ever meeting between Stanford and Georgia Tech - a matchup of academic powerhouses with plenty of speed on the field.
October: Cross-Country Grind
October begins with back-to-back road games that will test the Cardinal’s depth and travel stamina. First up is Wake Forest on October 3, followed by a trip to Notre Dame on October 10. While the Irish are technically an independent, they remain a key fixture on Stanford’s schedule, and this year’s meeting in South Bend adds yet another layer of difficulty to an already demanding month.
Stanford comes home for Reunion Homecoming on October 17, hosting Elon in its final non-conference game of the regular season. That’s a chance to reset before jumping right back into ACC play.
The following week, the Cardinal will host NC State on either Friday, October 23 or Saturday, October 24 - the exact date will be determined by the ACC and its broadcast partners. Either way, it’s another important home test in the thick of the conference schedule.
Then it’s back on the road again - this time to Louisville on October 31. Halloween weekend football in Kentucky? Expect a raucous environment.
November: Rivalries and Road Tests
November doesn’t let up. Stanford travels to Virginia Tech on November 14, another Eastern Time Zone trek that continues the Cardinal’s coast-to-coast gauntlet.
Then comes the 129th Big Game - Stanford heads to Berkeley on Saturday, November 21, looking to retain the Axe and snap a drought at California Memorial Stadium. The Cardinal haven’t won at Cal since 2020, and this year’s edition promises to be as intense as ever.
The regular season wraps up on Saturday, November 28, when SMU comes to town. It’ll be the Mustangs’ second trip to Stanford Stadium in three seasons, and potentially a pivotal game with postseason implications.
Looking Ahead
If Stanford can navigate this schedule - which includes five trips to the Eastern Time Zone, matchups with both the defending ACC champ and last year’s national runner-up, and a rivalry game on the road - they’ll have earned every bit of postseason consideration.
The ACC Championship Game is set for Saturday, December 5 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Whether the Cardinal can punch their ticket there in Year 1 of the Pritchard era remains to be seen, but one thing’s clear: this schedule offers no shortcuts, only opportunities.
2026 Stanford Football Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location |
|---|
| Sat, Aug. 29 | Hawai’i | Stanford, Calif.
| | Fri, Sept.
4 | Miami* | Stanford, Calif. |
| Sat, Sept. 19 | at Duke* | Durham, N.C. |
| Sat, Sept. 26 | Georgia Tech* | Stanford, Calif.
| | Sat, Oct. 3 | at Wake Forest* | Winston-Salem, N.C.
| | Sat, Oct. 10 | at Notre Dame | Notre Dame, Ind.
| | Sat, Oct.
17 | Elon | Stanford, Calif. |
| Fri, Oct. 23 or Sat, Oct. 24 | NC State* | Stanford, Calif.
| | Sat, Oct. 31 | at Louisville* | Louisville, Ky.
| | Sat, Nov. 14 | at Virginia Tech* | Blacksburg, Va.
| | Sat, Nov. 21 | at California* | Berkeley, Calif.
| | Sat, Nov.
28 | SMU* | Stanford, Calif. |
| Sat, Dec. 5 | ACC Championship | Charlotte, N.C.
|
*ACC Game
The countdown is on. Stanford’s 2026 journey is mapped out - now it’s time to see how far this new-look Cardinal team can go.