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USC 2026 Schedule: Kickoff times released for first four weeks

Chris Trevino USC Trojans footballby: Chris Trevino05/27/26ChrisNTrevino

The USC schedule officially received kickoff times for the first four weeks of the 2026 season on Wednesday.

The Week 0 matchup and season opener against San Jose State will kick off at 12 p.m. PT. The game will be televised on NBC.

USC’s Friday matchup in Week 1 with Fresno State will kick off at 6 p.m. PT and air on FOX. This game was initially slated for Saturday.

The USC schedule landed an 8 p.m. PT kickoff against Louisiana for Week 2. That game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

The Trojans will open Big Ten Conference play on the road at Rutgers for a 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. PT) kickoff. The Big Ten opener will be broadcast on CBS.

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Tough 2026 Slate

It’s no secret the Trojans will have one of the toughest schedules in the country this season. But there are no excuses being made in the USC program.

“The schedule is perfect,” said GM Chad Bowden earlier this spring. “It’s exactly what this program needs it to be. I think the Big Ten did a great job. I’ve had a lot of different people come up to me, whether it’s donors, fans. A lot of different people have talked to me about the schedule. We don’t need excuses. That’s not what we are looking for. We are ready. This is a great football team. They love each other. It’s a great staff. This is the most perfect schedule for this program. We cannot wait to play in those games.”

The Trojans are looking to take another step forward for Lincoln Riley’s fifth season at the helm. USC football came a brutal overtime loss to TCU in the Alamo Bowl from Riley’s second ten-win season in Los Angeles. They finished 9-4, his best mark since 2022.

USC and Riley are feeling the pressure for a College Football Playoff bid this fall. The path will include games on the road at Wisconsin, Penn State and defending national champion Indiana. USC will also host Ohio State, Oregon and Washington.

Full 2026 USC Schedule

Aug. 29th Week 0: San Jose State (12 p.m. PT) (NBC)

Sept. 4th Week 1: Fresno State (6 p.m. PT) (FOX) (Friday)

Sept. 12th Week 2: Louisiana (8 p.m. PT) (BTN)

Sept. 19th Week 3: at Rutgers (3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT) (CBS)

Sept. 26nd Week 4: Oregon (TBD)

Oct. 3rd Week 5: Washington (TBD)

Oct. 10th Week 6: at Penn State (TBD)

Oct. 17th Week 7: BYE

Oct. 24th Week 8: at Wisconsin (TBD)

Oct. 31st Week 9: Ohio State (TBD)

Nov. 7th Week 10: BYE

Nov. 14th Week 11: at Indiana (TBD)

Nov. 21st Week 12: Maryland (TBD)

Nov. 28th Week 13: at UCLA (TBD)

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Garry Paskwietz (1966-2019)

Garry Paskwietz was a pioneer in bringing team-specific sports coverage to the internet. He founded WeAreSC in 1998 and was an Emmy winner for his work with Fox Sports West. Always generous with his time, knowledge, and compassion, he touched the lives of countless USC and high school football fans.

Garry Paskwietz