Chattanooga Releases 2026 Football Schedule

Rick Nyman,

(gomocs.com) The Chattanooga Mocs football program officially released its 2026 schedule with an exciting 12-game package. It’s a challenging road for the program looking to battle for a Southern Conference title and returning to the FCS postseason.

It includes five home and seven road matchups including a perennial national power in the FBS ranks. All five home matchups are once again against FCS competition with the road games coming at national contenders as well.

Breakdown

  • The Mocs open at West Georgia in Carrollton on August 29. The Wolves are in their third year of FCS football but hit the ground running. They went 8-3 in 2025 and are 3-0 against the SoCon since elevating from DII in 2024.
  • It’s the earliest start date for the Mocs since the 24-10 home win over Eastern Illinois on the same day in 2019. That was Coach Rusty Wright’s first game in charge of the program.
  • The home opener is the following week with Tennessee Tech coming to Finley Stadium for the 42nd meeting between the two programs. The Golden Eagles are new SoCon members, but this year’s matchup serves as a non-conference affair.
  • The last FCS non-conference opponent sees the Mocs travel north to Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 12. It’s the first trip to Richmond since the 23-14 win in 2011.
  • The SoCon takes up eight of the next nine weeks. The home dates are Wofford (Sept. 19), Samford (Oct. 10), VMI (Oct. 31) and Mercer (Nov. 7). Road matchups are at The Citadel (Sept. 26), ETSU (Oct. 3), Western Carolina (Oct. 24) and Furman (Nov. 14).
  • The bye week falls on October 17. That’s directly in the middle of the SoCon run with four games on either side of it.
  • The regular season finale sees a return to Tuscaloosa. The Mocs and Alabama meet on Nov. 21 and is the first meeting since 2023.
  • The average wins by non-conference opponents? 8.75 in 2025.

2026 Football Schedule

August 29: at West Georgia | 2025 Record: 8-3

Meetings: 0 | Series Record: —

First Meeting: N/A

Last Meeting: N/A

Last Win: N/A

Sept. 5: Tennessee Tech. | 2025 Record: 11-2

Meetings: 41 | Series Record: 30-11

First Meeting: 9/23/1938 | W, 27-6, Chamberlain Field

Last Meeting: 9/6/2025 | L, 17-45, Finley Stadium | Recap Box Score

Last Win: 8/30/2018 | W, 34-10, Finley Stadium | Recap Box Score

Sept. 12: at Eastern Kentucky | 2025 Record: 5-7

Meetings: 6 | Series Record: 3-2-1

First Meeting: 9/8/1973, L, 6-10, Richmond, Ky.

Last Meeting: 9/17/2011 | W, 23-14, Richmond, Ky. | Recap

Last Win: Same

Sept. 19: *Wofford | 2025 Record: 6-6 (5-3 SoCon)

Meetings: 32 | Series Record: 16-16

First Meeting: 10/15/1927 | W, 38-7, Chamberlain Field

Last Meeting: 11/22/2025, L, 13-35, Spartanburg, S.C. | Recap Box Score

Last Win: 10/19/2024 | W, 37-5, Finley Stadium | Recap Box Score

Sept. 26: *at The Citadel | 2025 Record: 4-8 (3-5 SoCon)

Meetings: 59 | Series Record: 36-21-2

First Meeting: 10/9/1926 | W, 6-3, Charleston, S.C.

Last Meeting: 9/17/2025 | L, 10-28 | Recap Box Score

Last Win: 11/9/2024 | W, 31-7, Charleston, S.C. | Recap Box Score

Oct. 3: *at ETSU | 2025 Record: 7-5 (5-3 SoCon)

Meetings: 48 | Series Record: 28-19-1

First Meeting: 9/29/1961 | W, 27-6, Chamberlain Field

Last Meeting: 10/18/2025 | W, 42-38, Finley Stadium | Recap Box Score

Last Win: Same

Oct. 10: *Samford | 2025 Record: 1-11 (1-7 SoCon)

Meetings: 50 | Series Record: 35-12-3

First Meeting: 11/3/1906 | L, 0-63, Birmingham, Ala.

Last Meeting: 10/25/2025 | W, 49-13, Birmingham, Ala. | Recap Box Score

Last Win: Same

Oct. 17: BYE WEEK

Oct. 24: *at Western Carolina | 2025 Record: 7-5 (6-2 SoCon)

Meetings: 51 | Series Record: 30-21

First Meeting: 10/20/1973 | L, 0-14, Cullowhee, N.C.

Last Meeting: 11/1/2025  | L, 28-35, Cullowhee, N.C. | Recap Box Score

Last Win: 10/2/2021 | W, 45-17, Finley Stadium | Recap Box Score

Oct. 31: *at VMI | 2025 Record: 1-11 (0-8 SoCon)

Meetings: 31 | Series Record: 21-9-1

First Meeting: 11/20/1971 | W, 31-8, Lexington, Va.

Last Meeting: 10/4/2025 | W, 21-14, Lexington, Va. | Recap Box Score

Last Win: Same

Nov. 7: *Mercer | 2025 Record: 9-3 (8-0 SoCon)

Meetings: 36 | Series Record: 22-13-1

First Meeting: 11/4/1909 | L, 2-10, Macon, Ga.

Last Meeting: 11/15/2025 | L, 17-63, Macon, Ga. | Recap Box Score

Last Win: 10/14/2023 | W, 22-10, Macon, Ga. | Recap Box Score

Nov. 14: *at Furman | 2025 Record: 6-6 (4-4 SoCon)

Meetings: 56 | Series Record: 23-33

First Meeting: 10/6/1928 | W, 15-0, Greenville, S.C.

Last Meeting: 11/8/2025 | W, 45-28, Finley Stadium | Recap Box Score

Last Win: Same

Nov. 21: *at Alabama | 2025 Record: 11-4

Meetings: 14 | Series Record: 0-14

First Meeting: 10/31/1908 | L, 6-23, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Last Meeting: 11/18/2023 | L, 10-66, Tuscaloosa, Ala. | Recap Box Score

Last Win: N/A

FCS Playoffs

All-Time Appearances: 5 | Record: 4-5 | Last: 2023

Last Win: 11/25/2023, 24-21 at Austin Peay | Last Game: 12/2/2023, 7-26 at Furman

Selection Show: Sunday, Nov. 22

First Round: Home Sites, Nov. 28

Championship: Jan. 4, 2027 (Nashville, Tenn.)

*Southern Conference game

Categories: Sports – Local Sports News, Sports – UTC Mocs

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