Maryland football announced its 2026 schedule Tuesday. The slate features a number of intriguing matchups.
First, the Terps will welcome Hampton to SECU Stadium for their home opener on Sept. 5 — the contest
will serve as the first-ever matchup between the two programs. Maryland will then travel to UConn on Sept. 12. Last season, the Huskies went 9-3 during the regular season before dropping its bowl game to Army.
On Sept. 19, Maryland will host former Penn State head coach James Franklin and Virginia Tech in what should be an entertaining matchup. The following week, UCLA will head east to play the Terps — the Bruins won a late thriller when the two teams faced off in 2025.
Maryland will then go on the road twice consecutively — at Nebraska and at Ohio State on Oct. 3 and Oct. 10, respectively. The Terps lost to Nebraska last season, and the Buckeyes are once again poised to be National Championship contenders.
On Oct. 17, Maryland will host Rutgers in what will be the 13th consecutive season that the programs have gone head-to-head. After a Terps bye week, Illinois will head to College Park on Halloween.
The Terps’ following two games will come against Purdue — who went 2-10 and 0-9 in the Big Ten — and Wisconsin, who Maryland beat last year. The Terps will end their season with a West Coast road trip to USC on Nov. 21 and their home finale against Penn State on Nov. 28.
