FARMINGTON, Utah – The Big Sky Conference announced, on Tues., Oct. 28, the 2026 conference schedule and a move to a nine-game conference slate with UC Davis football set to play five games at home as part of its 2026 lineup. It's the first time the Big Sky Conference will have a nine-game slate and it came apart thanks to the NCAA extending the Football Championship Subdivision's length of games from 11 to 12.
 
"I'm a huge proponent of the nine-game conference schedule," said head coach Tim Plough. "We have the best conference in the country and the best competition we can create for our teams are to play each other week in and week out. It also helps scheduling non-conference opponents because it's difficult for teams in conference to find other teams willing to play us.
 
"I am excited for the future of UC Davis football. We will continue to find joy in our process of working to being the best we can possibly be when our best is needed."
 
UC Davis opens it conference schedule with a trip to Portland State on Aug. 29 before playing through its three-game non-conference stretch. Along that stretch the Aggies will head to San Diego (Sept. 5) and SMU (Sept. 12) before opening UC Davis Health Stadium on Sept. 19 against Stetson.
 
The Aggies will host Montana (Sept. 26), Eastern Washington (Oct. 3), Northern Colorado (Oct. 24), Utah Tech (Nov. 7) before wrapping up its regular season with "The Battle for the Golden Horseshoe" and a matchup with "that team down south" on Nov. 21. On the road, besides Portland State, the Aggies will visit Southern Utah (Oct. 17), Weber State (Oct. 31) and Idaho (Nov. 14).