JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Jan. 29, 2026) – After the Southern Conference Football schedule was announced last month, the ETSU football team announced its non-conference slate for the 2026 season on Thursday.
ETSU will kick off its 2026 schedule on August 29 when it hosts Campbell. The Fighting Camels went 2-10 last season that includes a 2-6 mark in CAA play. This will be the first ever game between Campbell and ETSU in football.
ETSU's first road trip of the season will be to perennial FCS title contender North Dakota State on September 5. The Bucs hosted the Bison on September 14, 2024, and NDSU narrowly knocked off ETSU, 38-35. Additionally, ETSU will be making its second ever trip to Fargo with its first coming in the 2021 FCS Quarterfinals where the Bison came away with the 27-3 victory.
The Blue and Gold will remain on the road the following week when it heads to North Carolina. It'll be the first matchup between the Bucs and Tar Heels. It'll also be the first game for ETSU against an ACC foe since 2002 when it visited NC State.
Wrapping up the non-conference slate will be a home game against West Georgia on September 19. The Bucs and Wolves matched up during the 2025 season with UWG coming away with a 35-31 victory.
The full 2026 schedule for the Buccaneers can be found below.
August 29 – vs. Campbell
September 5 – at North Dakota State
September 12 – at North Carolina
September 19 – vs. West Georgia
September 26 – vs. Western Carolina
October 3 – vs. Chattanooga
October 10 – at The Citadel
October 24 – at VMI
October 31 – vs. Tennessee Tech
November 7 – vs. Samford
November 14 – at Wofford
November 21 – at Mercer
"What stands out about this schedule is that we get to bring our biggest rivalries to our home field," said ETSU Head Football Coach
Will Healy. "Having Western Carolina and Chattanooga here, along with welcoming Tennessee Tech in their first year in the SoCon, is huge for our program and for our fans. Those games mean something special. We're excited about the level of challenge this schedule presents both home and away, but we're just as excited about the atmosphere it's going to create on game day from the Buc Walk all the way through kickoff. Our fans bring the best energy in the league, and that makes a real difference for our players. This is a team our community is going to love watching compete, and our fans are going to see high-energy, competitive football every week. There's nothing better than playing meaningful games in front of a packed home crowd. We can't wait to get back to Greene Stadium and make Johnson City a tough place to play this fall."
For more information on Buccaneer football, visit
ETSUBucs.com and click on the football tab.
