RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Tuesday that the Vaqueros football team will play six home games, including a non-conference home game against Sacramento State, as part of a 12-game schedule during the 2026 season.
 
UTRGV will also host its annual orange & white game at Sams Memorial Stadium in Brownsville on April 11.
 
The game against Sacramento State, a team which has made the FCS Playoffs four times since 2019 while racking up the 10^th most wins in the FCS during that time, is set for Sept. 26. A three-time Big Sky Champion, Sacramento State is currently set to compete as an FCS independent in 2026 while pursuing a jump to the FBS.
 
UTRGV hosts the four Southland opponents it faced on the road last season, including three FCS Playoff participants in Southeastern (Oct. 10), Lamar (Oct. 31), and 2025 Southland Conference Champion Stephen F. Austin (Nov. 14).
 
UTRGV plays its Southland Conference home opener against McNeese on Sept. 19 and opens the season at home against UT Permian Basin on Aug. 29.
 
UTRGV went undefeated at home during the inaugural 2025 season, finishing 7-0. The seven-game home winning streak is tied for the eighth-longest active streak in the FCS.
 
"On the heels of our historic first season, we're excited to be able to play such an impressive home schedule," UTRGV Senior Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. "The 2026 schedule features a strong conference slate including the three Southland Conference 2025 FCS playoff participants. In addition to four conference games and opening the 2026 campaign at home, we are excited to welcome Sacramento State to the Valley. This will prove to be a challenging schedule but one that gives our young program a great opportunity to take the next step forward."
 
UTRGV plays its first-ever FBS opponent, UTSA, on Sept. 5 before opening Southland Conference play at Nicholls on Sept. 12, marking the first time the Vaqueros have had to play back-to-back road games.
 
UTRGV also visits conference opponents East Texas A&M (Oct. 3), UIW (Oct. 17), Northwestern State (Nov. 7), and Houston Christian University (Nov. 21). This is UTRGV's first game against Northwestern State, as the Southland moved to a true nine-game round robin schedule this season after featuring an eight-game conference slate last season.
 
The Southland Conference Champion earns an automatic bid into the FCS Playoffs, a 5-round, 24-team tournament in which the top eight seeds earn first round byes. The first four rounds are played on the campus of the higher seed. The championship game will take place in Nashville, Tenn.
 
Game times will be announced at a later date.
 
Training Camp Scrimmage
 
The Vaqueros will get four weeks of practice leading up to the season opener. During that time, UTRGV will host an open scrimmage in Brownsville that will be free to the public. Details, including date, time and location will be available closer to the event.
 
Season Tickets
 
Those who had season tickets during the 2025 season have until Jan. 31 to renew their season tickets.
 
Current season ticket members have received an email directly from Showpass with a link for them to login to their account. Once logged in, fans will see a "Memberships" tab underneath their name and a button that says "Renew Membership" after they select football. Fans can renew their seats, parking passes, and North & South Tailgate Lot passes at the same prices as last year. Renewals for the H-E-B Tailgate Zone will take place at a later date.
 
Fans are guaranteed the opportunity to renew their seats from 2025 and will have the option to opt-in to the seat upgrade process that takes place in the spring. Fans must renew their seats prior to any upgrades. If available, upgrade opportunities will take place in Vaqueros Loyalty Points order based on points accumulated through January 31, 2026.
 
Should any seats in the allotment of 7,000 season tickets, a number which includes suites, club and loge seats, remain available following the renewal and upgrade process, fans on the wait list will be contacted in order of their Vaqueros Loyalty Points ranking based on points accumulated through April 1, 2026. Fans can join the wait list at GoUTRGV.com/FootballWaitList.

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