Ten teams inside two states, a broadcast deal that puts almost the whole league on one streaming service, and a season that ends with a Thursday doubleheader. Here is the whole Southland season, week by week.
Times are Eastern. Conference games are in bold. TBA means the networks have not set the window.
The tightest footprint in Division I
Every Southland school sits in Texas or Louisiana. Nacogdoches to Hammond is a five-hour drive; Beaumont to Lake Charles is barely an hour. No league in the FCS travels less, and it shows in the calendar — the Southland plays no game outside Central time all season except one trip to Macon in August.
It also shows in the broadcast column. Nearly every conference game runs on ESPN+, with the UTRGV home games carrying a second Spanish-language feed. The league sells proximity and streaming rather than network windows.
Week 1 — August 27 to September 5
| Matchup | Date | Time | TV | Pick |
| HCU at Southeastern | Thu Aug 27 | 7:00 | Pick → | |
| Mississippi Valley State at Nicholls | Thu Aug 27 | 7:00 | Pick → | |
| Louisiana Christian at Northwestern State | Thu Aug 27 | 8:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| SFA at McNeese | Sat Aug 29 | 7:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| Oklahoma Panhandle State at UIW | Sat Aug 29 | 7:00 | ESPN+ | |
| Abilene Christian at Lamar | Sat Aug 29 | 7:00 | Pick → | |
| East Texas A&M at Mercer | Sat Aug 29 | 6:00 | ESPN | Pick → |
| UT Permian Basin at UTRGV | Sat Aug 29 | 8:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| Northwestern State at Louisiana Tech | Sat Sep 5 | TBA | Pick → | |
| Lamar at UL Lafayette | Sat Sep 5 | TBA | Pick → | |
| Texas Wesleyan at McNeese | Sat Sep 5 | TBA | Pick → | |
| UTRGV at UTSA | Sat Sep 5 | 3:30 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| Nicholls at Kansas State | Sat Sep 5 | 7:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| HCU at Rice | Sat Sep 5 | 7:00 | Pick → | |
| Southeastern at South Alabama | Sat Sep 5 | 7:00 | Pick → | |
| East Texas A&M at SFA | Sat Sep 5 | 8:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
Three conference games in the opening fortnight, and the league’s only trip east all year — East Texas A&M to Macon on ESPN.
Week 2 — September 12
| Matchup | Time | TV | Pick |
| UIW at Northern Arizona | TBA | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| Tarleton State at McNeese | TBA | Pick → | |
| Lamar at Idaho | TBA | Pick → | |
| North Alabama at Southeastern | 7:00 | Pick → | |
| Arkansas Baptist at HCU | 7:00 | Pick → | |
| Northwestern State at East Texas A&M | 7:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| UTRGV at Nicholls | 7:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| SFA at Abilene Christian | 8:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
Week 3 — September 19
| Matchup | Time | TV | Pick |
| Northwestern State at Weber State | TBA | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| Nicholls at Sam Houston | TBA | Pick → | |
| Southeastern at ULM | 4:30 | Pick → | |
| HCU at UIW | 7:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| East Texas A&M at Tulsa | 8:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| SFA at Prairie View A&M | 8:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| McNeese at UTRGV | 8:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
Week 4 — September 26
| Matchup | Time | TV | Pick |
| UIW at Texas State | TBA | USA Network | Pick → |
| East Texas A&M at McNeese | TBA | Pick → | |
| Lamar at Nicholls | 4:00 | Pick → | |
| Northeastern State at SFA | 6:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| Southeastern at Northwestern State | 7:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| HCU at North Texas | 7:30 | Pick → |
Week 5 — October 3
| Matchup | Time | TV | Pick |
| McNeese at LSU | TBA | Pick → | |
| UIW at SFA | TBA | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| Northwestern State at Lamar | 4:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| Nicholls at HCU | 7:00 | Pick → | |
| UTRGV at East Texas A&M | 7:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
McNeese goes to Baton Rouge while the other eight teams play league games.
Week 6 — October 10
| Matchup | Time | TV | Pick |
| UIW at Lamar | TBA | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| Southeastern at UTRGV | 8:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
Two games, the lightest Saturday any league plays all season. Six of the ten teams are idle.
Week 7 — October 17
| Matchup | Time | TV | Pick |
| SFA at Nicholls | TBA | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| McNeese at Northwestern State | TBA | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| Lamar at Southeastern | 5:00 | Pick → | |
| East Texas A&M at HCU | 7:00 | Pick → | |
| UTRGV at UIW | 7:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
Five games, all conference, all ten teams playing. The first full league Saturday.
Week 8 — October 24
| Matchup | Time | TV | Pick |
| McNeese at UIW | TBA | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| HCU at Lamar | TBA | Pick → | |
| Nicholls at Northwestern State | 3:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| UTRGV at Central Arkansas | 5:00 | Pick → | |
| Southeastern at SFA | 6:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| Prairie View A&M at East Texas A&M | 7:00 | Pick → |
Week 9 — October 31
| Matchup | Time | TV | Pick |
| Nicholls at McNeese | TBA | Pick → | |
| HCU at SFA | 3:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| Southeastern at East Texas A&M | 4:00 | Pick → | |
| Northwestern State at UIW | 5:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| Lamar at UTRGV | 8:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
Halloween, and the whole league is playing conference games. Nothing else on the board.
Week 10 — November 7
| Matchup | Time | TV | Pick |
| SFA at Lamar | TBA | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| McNeese at HCU | TBA | Pick → | |
| UTRGV at Northwestern State | 2:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| East Texas A&M at Nicholls | 4:00 | Pick → | |
| UIW at Southeastern | 7:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
Week 11 — November 14
| Matchup | Time | TV | Pick |
| Nicholls at UIW | TBA | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| East Texas A&M at Lamar | TBA | Pick → | |
| HCU at Northwestern State | 2:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| SFA at UTRGV | 6:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| McNeese at Southeastern | 7:00 | Pick → |
Week 12 — November 19 and 21
| Matchup | Date | Time | TV | Pick |
| Northwestern State at SFA | Thu Nov 19 | 7:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| Southeastern at Nicholls | Thu Nov 19 | 7:00 | Pick → | |
| Lamar at McNeese | Sat Nov 21 | TBA | Pick → | |
| UIW at East Texas A&M | Sat Nov 21 | 4:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
| UTRGV at HCU | Sat Nov 21 | 5:00 | ESPN+ | Pick → |
The season closes on a Thursday and a Saturday, all five games conference games. Northwestern State at SFA is the Chief Caddo game, played for the largest trophy in college football.
Dig deeper
- Make your picks — week by week, +20 points each
- Compare two teams — the School Rivalry tool stacks any two side by side
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- Read the rest — the 2026 SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 and American schedules
- Watch the movement — the Transfer Tracker
