CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Austin Peay Governors recently finalized their 2026-27 football schedule, so let’s take a look at who Clarksville’s hometown team will be taking on this fall.
Before Wednesday, we only knew of nine opponents on the schedule. Those games included six conference matchups and three non-conference games against the Vanderbilt Commodores, FCS powerhouse North Dakota State and Morehead State.
The Govs will only play six conference games in 2026 instead of eight games because Southern Utah and Utah Tech left the UAC for the Big Sky Conference. As a result, the Govs had the opportunity to add two more non-conference games to the slate, and we now know who those opponents will be. Here is the finalized schedule, with conference games in bold.
- Aug. 27: vs. Gardner-Webb
- Sep. 5: at Vanderbilt
- Sep. 12: vs. Morehead State
- Sep. 19: at North Dakota State
- 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
What to look for in the Govs games
The Govs will begin their season at home for the first time since the 2019 season. This will be the fourth meeting between the Govs and the Runnin’ Bulldogs and the third in Clarksville. Gardner-Webb went 7-5 in the 2025 season.
After the opener, the Govs take a short trip to Nashville to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores. This is the lone FBS opponent on the schedule for the Govs in 2026. After that matchup, the Govs return home for another meeting with the Morehead State Eagles. The Govs have won five in a row against the Eagles, including a dominant 56-7 win in 2025. Next season, the FBS opponent on the Govs’ schedule is Auburn, with a Sept. 18, 2027, game at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Next on the 2026 docket is a trip to Fargo to take on the North Dakota State Bisons. The Govs and Bisons have only played in one previous meeting, which the Bisons won. North Dakota State is coming off a 12-1 season in 2025.
After the battle with the Bisons, the Govs return home to face another in-state opponent in UT Martin. This will be the first meeting for the Govs and Skyhawks since the 2021 season.
Finally, the non-conference slate wraps up on Oct. 3 against the New Haven Chargers. 2025 was the first season at the D-I level for the Chargers. Notably, the Chargers are led by head coach Mark Powell, who was Austin Peay’s defensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021.
The Govs then begin conference play against the Tarleton State Texans in Clarksville. Luckily, the Govs get to play Tarleton State, Abilene Christian and Eastern Kentucky in Clarksville this next season after losing to all three opponents on the road last year.
For road conference games, the Govs have West Georgia, North Alabama and Central Arkansas. The Govs have never beaten Central Arkansas on the road, so that’s a streak the team will look to end this season.
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