LAS ‌VEGAS ‌— ‌UNLV is stepping into 2026 with no easing-in period.

When the Mountain West released its full schedule on Monday, one theme jumped off the page, the early road load is heavy. By the time September is done, the Rebels will have spent more time packing than settling in.

Rebel football opens Aug. 29 with a Week Zero matchup against Memphis at Allegiant Stadium. It’s the first time the programs have faced each other, and it’s also the second straight season UNLV has landed on the national Week Zero slate.

After that, the miles add up fast.

Three of the first four games are away from Las Vegas, starting Sept. 5 with the Ninth Island Showdown at Hawai‘i. The Golden Pineapple Trophy is back on the line, and the date carries a small historical note, it ties the earliest conference game UNLV has ever played.

From there it’s Sept. 12 in Denton, Texas, against North Texas. A bye week arrives next, but the pause is brief. UNLV heads back out Sept. 26 to play at Akron.

It’s a demanding first month, and the numbers explain why. UNLV’s first three opponents were a combined 29-11 last season. Memphis has hovered near the top of the AAC race, and both Hawai‘i and North Texas bring back experienced groups. For a program that has been trending upward, those first games amount to an immediate check-in.

UNLV returns home Oct. 3, with California visiting Allegiant Stadium. That game closes out the home-and-home that began with UNLV’s trip to Berkeley in 2022, and it gives the Rebels another chance to measure themselves against a power-conference opponent.

A week later, a first-time opponent arrives. North Dakota State comes to Las Vegas on Oct. 10 for the first meeting between the schools. The Bison, now in the Mountain West and playing at the FBS level after years of success in the ranks below, bring a new wrinkle to the conference mix.

The Rebels then go back on the road Oct. 17 at Air Force in Colorado Springs, before taking their second bye week Oct. 24.

Conference play picks back up on Halloween. Northern Illinois visits Oct. 31, restarting a series that began in 1987 and bringing NIU back to Las Vegas for the first time since 2014.

November starts with Wyoming at Allegiant Stadium on Nov. 7, another chapter between longtime league opponents. The last road stretch comes in two stops, at New Mexico on Nov. 14, and at San José State on Nov. 21.

The regular season closes Nov. 28, with Nevada coming to town for the Battle for the Fremont Cannon, the 52nd meeting in the rivalry. UNLV has won four straight over the Wolf Pack and will look to keep that streak going. If the league race compresses the way it has lately, this one could again matter in the standings.

UNLV goes into 2026 with expectations that look nothing like they did a few years ago. The Rebels have won 30 games over the last three seasons and played in the Mountain West Championship Game in each of them, changing the conversation from rebuilding to holding the line. For second-year head coach Dan Mullen, the job now is making sure the standard doesn’t slide.

The schedule’s front end should answer a lot. Road trips come clustered, a power-conference opponent is part of the mix, and new league matchups show up early, leaving little margin.

Because UNLV opens in Week Zero, it also gets two bye weeks, Sept. 19 and Oct. 24.

The 2026 schedule includes six home dates at Allegiant Stadium: Memphis, California, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, Wyoming and Nevada.

Kickoff times and TV assignments will be set later, after the Mountain West and its broadcast partners finalize selections.



2026 UNLV Football Schedule
Aug. 29 – Memphis
Sept. 5 – at Hawai‘i*
Sept. 12 – at North Texas
Sept. 19 – Bye Week
Sept. 26 – at Akron
Oct. 3 – California
Oct. 10 – North Dakota State*
Oct. 17 – at Air Force*
Oct. 24 – Bye Week
Oct. 31 – Northern Illinois*
Nov. 7 – Wyoming*
Nov. 14 – at New Mexico*
Nov. 21 – at San José State*
Nov. 28 – UNR

*Mountain West game