The CBS Sports college football schedule for the 2026 season is loaded with marquee matchups this fall, highlighted by 14 appearances of the Big Ten on CBS at the usual kickoff of 3:30 p.m. ET.
College football's Week 5 menu features Ohio State going on the road to face Iowa, an intense nationally ranked showdown featuring two of the Big Ten's top coaches. Navy and Air Force get things started in the early game before the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes take the field in a separation matchup of sorts in the conference standings nearing the midway point this fall. The following week, on Oct. 10, Oregon will travel to face UCLA in a Big Ten showdown as the Ducks look to continue their CFP push while the Bruins will aim to make their biggest statement yet in Bob Chesney's first season.
CBS will also broadcast the Black Friday rivalry game between Nebraska and Iowa, this year set for Iowa City on Nov. 27 at noon ET, before the final Big Ten on CBS game of the regular season on Nov. 28 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Of the many storylines to follow this season in college football that will not be overlooked is the return of the Pac-12. CBS Sports will be bringing you coverage of the new-look league on CBS and CBS Sports Network, including some high-profile nonconference games and the Pac-12 Championship Game at the end of the season on CBS.
Of course, in addition to the Big Ten games and Pac-12 games on the docket, CBS Sports will also feature three games in the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy rivalry between Army, Navy and Air Force, which will conclude with the Army-Navy game in its traditional spot on the calendar, this year being hosted at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Check out the full schedule below of games on CBS and Paramount+ and a closer look at the top matchups that will be featured as part of the early CBS college football schedule.
2026 CBS college football schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Game |
|---|---|---|
Sat., Sept. 19 | 3:30 p.m. | USC at Rutgers |
Sat., Sept. 26 | 3:30 p.m. | Iowa at Michigan |
Sat., Oct. 3 | 12 p.m. | Navy at Air Force |
Sat., Oct. 10 | 3:30 p.m. | Oregon at UCLA |
Sat., Oct. 17 | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten on CBS Game |
Sat., Oct. 24 | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten on CBS Game |
Sat., Oct. 31 | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten on CBS Game |
Sat., Nov. 7 | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten on CBS Game |
Sat., Nov. 14 | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten on CBS Game |
Sat., Nov. 21 | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten on CBS Game |
Fri., Nov. 27 | 12 p.m. | Nebraska at Iowa |
Sat., Nov. 28 | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten on CBS Game |
Fri., Dec. 4 | 8 p.m. | Pac-12 Championship Game |
Sat., Dec. 12 | 3 p.m. | Army-Navy Game |
Thu., Dec. 31 | 2 p.m. | Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl |
Now let's highlight the top games set for CBS this season.
Oct. 3: Ohio State at Iowa
Danger zone for Buckeyes
Ohio State has won 15 of its last 17 games in this matchup, but both losses came in Iowa City (2017; 2004). The second road game for the Buckeyes this season after they squandered a 20-point fourth-quarter lead at Texas in Week 2, this one's a must-win for a team with Big Ten championship and CFP expectations. Kirk Ferentz's squad is playing lights out defensively, only yielding 13 total points after the first three games of the season.
Keep an eye on Iowa's rushing attack in this one. Kamari Moulton's the bell cow for a backfield averaging 7.4 yards per carry behind a veteran offensive front. The Buckeyes' last Big Ten road loss in the regular season came in 2023 when Michigan clipped Ohio State, 30-24.
Oct. 10: UCLA at Oregon
Bob Chesney's coming-out party
UCLA is playing the primary disruptor in the Big Ten championship discussion early this season with one of the league's best running backs in Wayne Knight and a first-year coach intending to pull a Curt Cignetti and lead his team to the College Football Playoff. Like his Indiana brethren, Bob Chesney cut his teeth with high-end success at JMU and has immediately parlayed that into UCLA's resurgence. The Ducks have responded from a Week 2 loss at Oklahoma State with poise and precision, intently focused on getting back to the CFP for the third straight campaign under Dan Lanning.
Nov. 27: Nebraska at Iowa
A guaranteed Black Friday grinder
There's so much passion and history in this rivalry that was reignited by Nebraska's move to the Big Ten. And since 2011 this game has not only been a late November fixture on the calendar but almost every game seems to be close. Of the 15 meetings as Big Ten foes, 10 of the games have been decided by eight points or less and six have come down to a field goal.
Last season's 40-16 rout by Iowa was indicative of two teams that were finishing their campaigns in far different positions from a health perspective, as the Hawkeyes were wrapping up a successful top-25 season while the Cornhuskers were down to backup quarterbacks and barreling towards a 2-5 finish to the season. If both Nebraska and Iowa are playing for stakes late in the year, history suggests it'll be another close one for the corn rivals.
