UCLA Football’s 2026 schedule revealed as Bruins prepare for third year in Big Ten

LOS ANGELES -- UCLA Athletics officially unveiled the Bruins’ 2026 football schedule on Tuesday following the Big Ten Conference’s announcement of league dates, setting the stage for a pivotal third season in the conference with a blend of historic matchups, cross-country travel, and marquee home games at the Rose Bowl.

The Bruins are slated to play a 12-game regular season consisting of nine Big Ten contests and three non-conference games, with a favorable home-road split that includes seven games in Pasadena and five away from home. Game times and television assignments will be announced at a later date, while season tickets for the 2026 campaign are currently available through UCLA Athletics.

The season opens on the road Sept. 5 with a rivalry matchup against California at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, marking the debut of head coach Bob Chesney on the UCLA sideline. The opener renews a familiar West Coast series and provides an immediate test for the Bruins under new leadership.

UCLA returns home for its non-conference opener on Sept. 12 against San Diego State, before beginning Big Ten play the following week. Conference action kicks off Sept. 19 when Purdue visits the Rose Bowl, a notable matchup as it marks the Boilermakers’ first trip to UCLA since 1979.

Travel will be limited early in the season, as the Bruins remain largely within the Pacific time zone through the first eight games. The lone early exception comes Sept. 26, when UCLA travels east to face Maryland for the first time since 1955. The Bruins hold a narrow series advantage after a 20-17 home victory over the Terrapins last season.

Following a bye week, UCLA heads north to Eugene to face Oregon on Oct. 10 in a matchup steeped in history. The Bruins and Ducks first met in 1928, with UCLA maintaining a slight all-time edge in the series.

The heart of the schedule features a three-game homestand against Wisconsin (Oct. 17), Michigan State (Oct. 24), and Nevada (Oct. 31). Both Big Ten opponents will be making rare regular-season visits to UCLA, while the Nevada game serves as the Bruins’ final non-conference contest after being shifted later in the season.

UCLA closes the regular season with road trips to Minnesota and Michigan, sandwiching a home date against Illinois, before hosting USC on Nov. 28 in the Battle for L.A., extending one of college football’s longest uninterrupted rivalries.

The Bruins will compete alongside the rest of the conference for a berth in the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 5 in Indianapolis, with the winner earning an automatic spot in the College Football Playoff.