The IMG Academy 2026 schedule gives Florida high school football fans a clear look at how the Ascenders will build their national case: long road trips, home dates in Bradenton, a neutral-site test in California and a regular-season finish in Maryland. The 2026 slate includes opponents from eight states and one international team, according to High School Football America.
That structure matters because IMG Academy is not playing a typical local schedule. The Ascenders will move through several kickoff windows, climates and travel demands while still giving Florida fans four home games to circle. For families, alumni and college-football followers tracking player development, the schedule sets up as a season-long test of preparation as much as talent.
IMG also brings recent form into the discussion. The Ascenders finished the 2025 season at 9-0, with listed wins over Hoover, 34-13, and Venice, 27-14, on the team’s MaxPreps schedule page. That record does not decide anything in 2026, but it explains why each date on the next slate will draw attention across Florida and well beyond Bradenton.
IMG Academy 2026 Schedule At A Glance
Full Regular-Season Fixture List
The schedule begins with a road trip to Utah on August 21 and ends with a road game in Maryland on November 13. In between, IMG has home games against programs from Texas, Virginia, England and New Jersey, plus a Florida road date in Orlando. The September 5 game against Saint Louis School of Hawaii is set for Saddleback College in California, creating one of the more unusual travel points on the slate.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Planning Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 21, 2026 | Lone Peak High School | Road, Utah | Season opener with long-distance travel |
| August 29, 2026 | Cornerstone Christian | Home, Bradenton | First home game against a San Antonio program |
| September 5, 2026 | Saint Louis School | Saddleback College, California | Neutral-site matchup against a Hawaii opponent |
| September 18, 2026 | The First Academy | Road, Orlando | In-state road game for Florida fans |
| September 25, 2026 | Legacy School of Sport Science | Home, Bradenton | Second Texas opponent on the slate |
| October 3, 2026 | St. James Performance Academy | Home, Bradenton | Home game against a Virginia opponent |
| October 9, 2026 | New Palestine High School | Road, Indiana | Short-week road challenge after an October home date |
| October 16, 2026 | NFL Academy | Home, Bradenton | International opponent from England |
| October 31, 2026 | The Hun School | Home, Bradenton | Late-season home game against a New Jersey opponent |
| November 13, 2026 | St. Frances Academy | Road, Maryland | Regular-season finale away from Florida |
What Stands Out In The Dates
The spacing is one of the first things to notice. IMG opens on August 21, plays again eight days later at home, then heads to California the next week. After that, the Ascenders have a September 18 in-state game at The First Academy before returning to Bradenton on September 25. That sequence gives fans a clear early-season rhythm: road, home, neutral site, road, home.
The October run is more compressed. IMG hosts St. James Performance Academy on October 3, travels to Indiana for New Palestine on October 9, then returns home to face NFL Academy on October 16. For a high school program built around national competition, that three-week stretch tests travel recovery, practice structure and game-week routine.
Key Matchups That Shape The National Case
The Opening Road Trip To Utah
The Lone Peak opener sets the tone. A first game away from Florida forces a team to handle travel before it has settled into a regular Friday-night pattern. For IMG, the opener is less about local rivalry and more about proving early readiness. Coaches generally want clean operation in Week 1: substitutions, special teams, sideline communication and penalty control. Those areas become even more visible when the first kickoff comes on the road.
For Florida fans tracking the Ascenders from Bradenton, this game is the first benchmark for how the 2026 roster handles a national schedule. It will not answer every question, but it can show whether the team’s depth and travel routine are already in working order.
The California Neutral-Site Test
The September 5 matchup with Saint Louis School at Saddleback College is a major planning point. It is not a home game, and it is not a standard road trip to an opponent’s campus. A neutral site in California changes the week for both teams and gives scouts and national observers a concentrated setting. IMG faces an opponent from Hawaii, which adds another layer to the matchup without turning it into a regional rivalry.
From a schedule-pressure view, this game comes one week after the home opener against Cornerstone Christian. That creates a quick turn from Bradenton operations to a cross-country trip. If the Ascenders want to stay in the national title conversation, handling that shift cleanly is part of the job.
The Florida Date In Orlando
The September 18 game at The First Academy is the most accessible road game for many Florida fans. It keeps IMG inside the state and offers a different feel than the national travel stops. Orlando is within reach for families, alumni and high school football followers from both Central Florida and the Gulf Coast, depending on kickoff time and ticket details.
Competitively, it is also an important middle point. By then, IMG will have played in Utah, Bradenton and California. The Orlando trip lands before a September 25 home game against Legacy School of Sport Science, so it sits between national travel and another out-of-state opponent coming to Florida.
Travel Windows And Bradenton Game-Day Planning
Home Games Worth Marking Early
The home schedule gives local fans four clear Bradenton dates: August 29 against Cornerstone Christian, September 25 against Legacy School of Sport Science, October 3 against St. James Performance Academy, October 16 against NFL Academy and October 31 against The Hun School. That is five listed home games, spread across late August, late September and October. For families balancing youth football, college games and weekend travel, those dates are the practical core of the season.
- August 29: First chance for local fans to see the 2026 team at home.
- September 25 and October 3: Back-to-back home windows around the turn into October.
- October 16: Home matchup with NFL Academy, the international opponent from England.
- October 31: Late-season Bradenton date before the November road finale.
Road Games That Require Early Planning
The road schedule is not casual. Utah, Indiana and Maryland are full travel weekends for most Florida supporters, while the California neutral-site game adds another long trip. Fans considering one away game may find the Orlando date more practical, but the national trips are part of what makes the IMG Academy 2026 schedule different from most Florida high school slates.
The November 13 trip to St. Frances Academy is especially important because it closes the regular season. A finale that far from home can influence how a team manages late-season health, academic schedules and practice rhythm. For fans, it also means that the final regular-season checkpoint will not be in Bradenton.
What The Schedule Means For Bradenton Football Fans
A Local Program With A National Calendar
IMG Academy operates out of Bradenton, but this schedule is built for a national stage. That matters locally because the home dates bring out-of-state programs into Manatee County, while the road dates carry a Florida program into several regions. The mix gives local fans a rare view of different football styles without leaving the high school level.
The IMG Academy 2026 schedule also creates a clean viewing plan. Fans who want the full arc should track three segments: the August and early September travel start, the September 18 through October 16 stretch that alternates Florida access and home games, and the closing push from October 31 to November 13. Each segment asks a different question about consistency.
The Main Football Questions Before Kickoff
The first question is how IMG handles travel. Playing in Utah, California, Indiana and Maryland in the same regular season places pressure on routines. The second question is how the Ascenders defend their home field against opponents from Texas, Virginia, England and New Jersey. The third is how the team keeps its standard from the 2025 unbeaten season while working through a schedule that rarely settles into one pattern.
For Florida football fans, the value is clear: this is a schedule to follow week by week, not just by final scores. Kickoff windows, travel recovery, opponent variety and home-game turnout will all tell part of the story. If IMG is going to stay in the national title race, the path runs through Bradenton nights, long road weekends and a November finish away from home.