CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Austin Peay football schedule for the 2026 season has been finalized. If you feel like you remember the schedule being finalized a couple of months ago, let me explain.
The Govs were originally slated to head to Fargo to take on FCS powerhouse North Dakota State in September. However, shortly after the schedule was released, it was revealed that North Dakota State would be transitioning to the FBS, effective immediately. As a result, NDSU had to reschedule some games, and the Austin Peay matchup was one of the cuts.
Instead of playing the Bison, the Govs will head down to Pensacola to take on West Florida in that spot. West Florida is transitioning to D1 football and will be a member of the UAC alongside Austin Peay. The rest of the Govs’ schedule remains the same and can be found below, with conference games in bold.
- Aug. 27: vs. Gardner-Webb
- Sep. 5: at Vanderbilt
- Sep. 12: vs. Morehead State
- Sep. 19: at West Florida
- Sep. 26: vs. UT Martin
- Oct. 3: vs. New Haven
- Oct. 10: vs. Tarleton State
- Oct. 17: at West Georgia
- Oct. 24: at North Alabama
- Nov. 7: vs. Eastern Kentucky
- Nov. 14: vs. Abilene Christian
- Nov. 21: at Central Arkansas
Head coach Jeff Faris excited for 2026 slate
Now that the schedule is ready to go, head coach Jeff Faris sat down with Clarksville Now to talk about the upcoming slate.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this schedule,” Faris said. “We are fortunate to have seven home games, and we have a real home-field advantage at Fortera Stadium.”
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Faris certainly has a point about the home-field advantage. The Govs went 6-0 at home in 2025, its best home showing in years. Luckily for fans of the Govs, there will be plenty of exciting home games to watch again in 2026, starting with a Thursday night opener against Gardner-Webb.
“We’re opening up on a Thursday against a traditionally strong program,” said Faris. “That’s going to be a great opportunity for us, and I know we’ll have a great crowd on hand.”
The Govs also get to play two teams that are currently transitioning to the DI level in New Haven and West Florida. Just because they’re new to this level doesn’t mean they’ll be easy opponents, though.
“West Florida and New Haven are hungry programs. We’re going to be tested. We’re going to be tested every single week of this schedule,” the coach said.
The Govs’ season kicks off at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 27, against Gardner-Webb at Fortera Stadium.
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