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Arizona Football 2026 Schedule: Full Breakdown and Season Outlook
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- Arizona Football 2026 Schedule: Full Breakdown and Season Outlook
Arizona beat who it was supposed to beat last year, but it also came up big in a few strong games to get to nine wins. This year's schedule will make it a whole lot tougher to get there.
The Wildcats don't have a bad non-conference slate, but once they get into the Big 12 ... uh oh. Here's our analysis of the 2026 schedule.
The Good, the Bad, and Who Arizona Misses in 2026
Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Brent Brennan celebrates against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Good
Again, the non-conference schedule isn't too bad. There's a trip to Washington State, but Northern Arizona and Northern Illinois are part of the run of three teams outside of the Power Four.
There aren't two road games in a row, there's just one game away from Tucson during a midseason five-week stretch, there are only four Big 12 road games, and ...
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The Bad
The Wildcats don't miss anyone amazing. The Arizona State and Utah games are at home, but having to go to BYU and Texas Tech is a big problem. Having to go to Kansas State late in the season could be an issue, too, if the Manhattan weather isn't Arizona nice.
What Big 12 Teams Arizona Will Miss
Baylor, Colorado, Houston, Kansas, Oklahoma State, UCF.
Again, this could've been better. Not playing Houston isn't bad, but the Wildcats don't have to play five Big 12 teams that didn't go bowling last year.
Arizona's Best and Worst Case Scenarios in 2026
Best Case: Arizona beats BYU
It's one of the Big 12 season's biggest tone-setter games when Arizona goes to Provo in Week 2. The Wildcats pull that off, take care of the run of Cincinnati, at West Virginia, and Iowa State, and all of a sudden, the trip to Texas Tech doesn't quite mean as much as it probably should with three of the last four games at home.
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Worst Case: The Wildcats struggle at home
The two big road games are bad enough, and going to West Virginia and Kansas State are hardly layups. There aren't any easy Big 12 home games, and the Wildcats need to go at least 4-1 to have any prayer of being in the conference championship mix.
Arizona Football 2026 Schedule
Sept 5 Northern Arizona
Sept 12 at BYU
Sept 19 Northern Illinois
Sept 26 at Washington State
Oct 3 Cincinnati
Oct 10 at West Virginia
Oct 17 OPEN DATE
Oct 24 Iowa State
Oct 31 at Texas Tech
Nov 7 TCU
Nov 14 Utah
Nov 21 at Kansas State
Nov 28 Arizona State
Games That Will Decide Arizona's Season
1. at BYU, Sept. 12.Win this game, and all of a sudden, the expectations change for the Arizona season.
2. at Texas Tech, Oct. 31.No one will think the Wildcats will win this. November isn't easy, though, and they have to let it rip.
3. Utah, Nov. 14.The Arizona State game is always going to mean everything, but at this point in the season, the Wildcats might desperately need a key Big 12 win.
Big 12 Schedule Analysis
Arizona
| Arizona State
| Baylor
| BYU
Cincinnati
| Colorado
| Houston
| Iowa State
Kansas
| Kansas State
| Oklahoma State
| TCU
Texas Tech
| UCF
| Utah
| West Virginia
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Related: Arizona State Football 2026 Schedule: Full Breakdown and Season Outlook
This story was originally published by College Football News on Jan 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
