Nobody crams more football into an opening week than the United Athletic Conference. Born from the partnership of the WAC and ASUN and stretching from Texas to Georgia, the UAC opens 2026 with almost its entire membership playing twice in Week 1, mixing home showcases with fearless trips into SEC and Big 12 stadiums. Every matchup is live on RallyFuel. Tap your pick, earn +20 RallyFuel points per vote, and keep up if you can.
Home Openers With Juice
Austin Peay vs Gardner-Webb: the Governors host a quality Big South-OVC opponent in Clarksville before heading to Vanderbilt for an all-Tennessee SEC test.
Tarleton State vs Prairie View A&M: the Texans welcome the defending SWAC champions to Stephenville, then fly north to face Bowling Green.
North Alabama vs Samford: an all-Alabama battle in Florence, with the Lions also visiting Arkansas for an SEC road trip in the same week.
West Georgia vs Chattanooga: the Wolves host the SoCon in Carrollton, then renew their Georgia series at Kennesaw State.
The Wildcats Go Hunting
Abilene Christian at Texas Tech sends the Wildcats into Lubbock to face the defending Big 12 champions, and they follow it with a Southland matchup at Lamar. Two Texas road games against two different divisions of competition. That’s a UAC schedule.
More Road Tests
Central Arkansas at UT Martin: the Bears open with a quality FCS matchup in Martin.
Eastern Kentucky at Jacksonville State: the Colonels visit a Conference USA opponent with an old rivalry feel.
Built for the Grind
The UAC’s footprint spans the South from Abilene to Carrollton, and its programs share one identity: schedule anyone, travel anywhere, and let the fanbases follow. And before you lock in your picks, settle the debates with the School Rivalry tool, where you can compare any two schools side by side on NIL, fan engagement, rankings, and championships. Texans vs Wildcats? Wolves vs Owls? See how they stack up before you vote.
Make Your Picks
Twelve games featuring UAC teams in a single opening week, from Stephenville to Lubbock to Nashville. Tap into any matchup above, cast your vote for +20 RallyFuel points, drop a comment for your squad, and turn your fandom into direct support for the athletes in the busiest league in college football.
Get your predictions in before kickoff.
