Kickoff times, TV coverage for SMU vs. UC-Davis, Louisville, Virginia Tech announced

SMU Football will kick off in its home opener against UC-Davis at 3 p.m. CT and at Louisville at 2:30 p.m. CT, the ACC announced on Wednesday.

The Mustangs will face UC-Davis on Sept. 12 on ACC Network Extra, just days after opening at Florida State on Labor Day. Rhett Lashlee’s team faces Louisville on ESPN or ESPN2 on Sept. 19.

The game time for the home Friday contest against Virginia Tech on Nov. 6 was also announced. SMU will take on James Franklin’s Hokies at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.

SMU went through spring practices in April, capping them with plenty of optimism following a 9-win season, but also an improved group from what Lashlee saw. Physically and athletically, Lashlee’s excited about what his staff has assembled.

“I think we’ve got a lot of good work in. I mean, we’re a work in progress, but I told you at the beginning, I think we just seemed like we were a bigger football team,” Lashlee said. “I think obviously that hadn’t changed, but like the good thing has been just we’re still athletic and we can run. The Catapult system says we’re probably about a mile to a mile and a half per hour faster as a group to what we averaged in the past. If you can get more size and a lot better length and be able to still move and run and feel like not only have you not lost any athleticism, but you may also have upgraded, that’s good. I think that will help us.”

Last year, SMU fizzled in key moments, losing three of its four games by a combined seven points. Lashlee hopes the improved depth will help push the Mustangs over the top, but is glad there’s still a summer program to come for his team.

“We have a chance to have maybe better depth than we’ve had, which will help on both sides of the ball, but really on special teams,” Lashlee said. “In terms of the work we’ve gotten in, I’ve been really pleased. We’ve got a lot of work in probably like 10 or 11 practices so far. We’ve been really physical. Guys have done a good job of practicing that way without having to tackle all the time. Really just the energy, the competitiveness has been really good. I thought early on in spring ball, the defense was pretty dominant, and the offense had to find a way to match their energy. They finally did and so since then the last two weeks it’s been a lot of good back and forth. I’m glad we don’t play for just under five months, but I thought we’ve had a productive spring.”

SMU opens the season at Florida State at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN in a nationally televised matchup.

2026 SMU Football Season Schedule
Week 1 – Monday, Sept. 7 at Florida State, 6:30 pm CT, ESPN (previously announced)
Week 2 – Saturday, Sept. 12 vs. UC Davis, 3 pm CT, ACCNX
Week 3 – Saturday, Sept. 19 at Louisville, 2:30 pm CT, ESPN or ESPN2
Week 4 – Saturday, Sept. 26 vs. Missouri State, TBD (Family Weekend)
Week 5 – Saturday, Oct. 3 vs. Boston College, TBD
Week 6 – Saturday, Oct. 10 BYE
Week 7 – Saturday, Oct. 17 vs. Virginia, TBD
Week 8 – Saturday, Oct. 24 vs. Cal, TBD
Week 9 – Saturday, Oct. 31 at Syracuse, TBD
Week 10 – Friday, Nov. 6 vs. Virginia Tech, 6 pm CT, ESPN
Week 11 – Saturday, Nov. 14 vs. Wake Forest, TBD (Homecoming)
Week 12 – Saturday, Nov. 21 at Notre Dame, 6:30 pm CT, NBC and Peacock (previously announced)
Week 13 – Saturday, Nov. 28 at Stanford, TBD