The USF Bulls Schedule gives Tampa football fans a clear set of planning points before a milestone fall. As of August 21, 2026, the Bulls are preparing for their 30th year of football, their final season at Raymond James Stadium before a planned move into a new 35,000-seat on-campus stadium in 2027, according to a USF Athletics announcement. That makes each home date carry extra local weight beyond the standings.
The verified schedule snapshot is built around early non-conference setup games, several American road dates, and two late-season conference matchups that could matter if USF is still in the championship race. The full week-to-week picture will be shaped by results once games begin, but the known dates and kickoff windows already show where travel, short weeks, and home-night timing may affect the Bulls.
USF Bulls Schedule Dates And Kickoff Windows
USF Bulls Schedule Checkpoints
The USF Bulls Schedule starts at home against FIU on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. ET, with ESPN+ listed for the broadcast. The first road game follows one week later, when USF visits Army on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. Those two games give the Bulls a quick home-road contrast: a Florida opener under the lights in Tampa, then a noon trip to Army.
The verified schedule notes also include a home game against Delaware State on Saturday, September 19, 2026, and a home game against Kent State on Saturday, October 17, 2026. Kickoff details for those two games are not included in the supplied research, so they should be treated as dates to monitor rather than fixed time-window plans. CBS Sports also lists USF’s 2026 schedule page for the Bulls, including the referenced conference road dates on its team schedule.
Known Kickoff Windows
Several American dates already stand out because the kickoff windows are known. USF is scheduled to visit UTSA on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN or ESPN2. A Thursday road game asks different things from a team than a standard Saturday slot: fewer normal recovery days, more travel compression, and a prime-time setting away from home.
November brings two more fixed windows. USF is scheduled to play at East Carolina on Friday, November 6, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Six days later, the Bulls host Memphis on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN or ESPN2. That stretch matters for more than opponent quality. It puts USF into a Friday road game followed by a short turnaround for a Thursday home game, which makes recovery, travel return, and practice timing part of the football story.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Known Window | Planning Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 5, 2026 | FIU | Home | 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+ | Florida opener at Raymond James Stadium |
| September 12, 2026 | Army | Away | 12:00 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network | First road game; first meeting with Army as an American foe |
| October 8, 2026 | UTSA | Away | 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2 | Thursday night conference road date |
| November 6, 2026 | East Carolina | Away | 7:30 p.m. ET | Friday night American road game |
| November 12, 2026 | Memphis | Home | 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2 | Short-week home conference matchup |
| November 27 or 28, 2026 | Tulane | Not specified in supplied notes | Not specified | Season finale date window |
Home Slate And Tampa Game-Day Planning
Raymond James Stadium Context
The 2026 home schedule has a special Tampa angle because it is set to be USF’s final football season at Raymond James Stadium. That does not change the X-and-O matchups, but it changes how local fans may view each home date. FIU on September 5, Delaware State on September 19, Kent State on October 17, and Memphis on November 12 are the verified home opponents in the supplied research.
For families and alumni planning around Tampa traffic, weekday timing matters. The Memphis game is scheduled for Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. ET. That window may push arrival planning into standard evening commute hours in the Tampa area. Fans who also follow Friday high school games around the state can use broader schedule planning resources such as our Florida high school football schedules page to balance local prep games with Bulls home dates.
Florida Opener Against FIU
The FIU opener gives the Bulls an in-state start before conference pressure builds. A home opener against another Florida program carries local recruiting and fan-interest value even without making claims about roster matchups that are not verified in the supplied notes. For USF, the practical value is clear: begin at home, play at night, and set a baseline before the first road trip.
Delaware State and Kent State also sit in the non-conference portion referenced in the research. Those games give USF chances to build rhythm before the later American dates intensify. No outcome should be assumed, but spacing matters. A September 19 home game follows the Army trip, while the October 17 Kent State date comes after the Thursday trip to UTSA.
Road Tests That Shape The American Race
Army Trip Carries Schedule History
The September 12 trip to Army is notable for two reasons in the supplied research. USF has not played at Army since a 2003 win, and the 2026 meeting is listed as the first matchup between the schools with Army as an American Conference opponent. That gives the game a standings angle and a program-history angle without needing to stretch it into a rivalry claim.
The noon kickoff is also part of the planning equation. Early kickoffs on the road can compress game-day routines, especially for teams traveling out of Florida. For Bulls fans, it creates a different viewing window than the FIU opener: noon on CBS Sports Network rather than a 7:00 p.m. local home start.
UTSA, East Carolina, Memphis, And Tulane
The October 8 game at UTSA and the November 6 game at East Carolina are the two road dates most clearly identified in the research as difficult conference trips. Both are away from Tampa, both are played outside the normal Saturday pattern, and both sit before important schedule turns. The UTSA game is followed by the October 17 home date with Kent State, while the East Carolina game is followed by Memphis just six days later.
Memphis on November 12 and Tulane on November 27 or 28 are the two late conference games most directly tied to possible championship implications in the supplied notes. That depends on how the standings develop after kickoff in September, so the careful way to frame them is as potential swing games rather than guaranteed title deciders. If USF is in the American race by mid-November, the Memphis home game and Tulane finale could become the most important dates on the calendar.
- Short-week pressure: East Carolina on Friday, November 6, followed by Memphis on Thursday, November 12.
- Road discipline: Army, UTSA, and East Carolina each require different travel and preparation demands.
- Home-night value: FIU and Memphis give Tampa fans confirmed evening windows at Raymond James Stadium.
- Standings watch: Memphis and Tulane should be tracked closely if USF remains in the American race.
Why The USF Bulls Schedule Matters In Tampa
The USF Bulls Schedule is about more than dates on a calendar because 2026 connects the old home and the next phase of the program. Raymond James Stadium has been the setting for USF football, but the planned 2027 move to an on-campus stadium gives this fall a clear transition point. For local fans, that means the confirmed home games are part of a final Raymond James run, not just another set of Saturday and weeknight fixtures.
From a football view, the most important pressure points are easy to identify before the games are played. The FIU opener sets the tone in-state. Army brings the first road test and a new American context. UTSA and East Carolina test USF away from home in non-Saturday slots. Memphis brings a late Thursday night home game. Tulane closes the regular season in a date window of November 27 or 28, with kickoff details not included in the supplied research.
The schedule will make more sense once September results start shaping the standings. As of August 21, 2026, though, Tampa fans can already mark the travel squeezes, prime-time windows, and late conference dates that may define how Brian Hartline’s first USF season is judged on the field.