Big Ten and Big 12 headline Fox Sports' Friday college football schedule

Texas Tech hosts Houston on Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. ET, marking Fox’s first conference matchup of the season. The Red Raiders enter 2026 with top‑10 expectations but have uncertainty at quarterback with Brendan Sorsby remaining away in rehab for a gambling addiction. Sorsby is under investigation by the NCAA and is awaiting potential NCAA penalties, including possible permanent ineligibility.

Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers will host Northwestern for its Big Ten opener in Bloomington on Friday, Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. ET. The Hoosiers, who landed TCU quarterback Josh Hoover to be the successor to Fernando Mendoza, are No. 3 in USA TODAY Sports' Big Ten post-spring football rankings.

Notre Dame QB CJ Carr has the Fighting Irish fighting for a playoff spot heading into Week 11. He's 30th in nation in passing yards (2,057, just six fewer than Diego Pavia) with 16 passing TDs to four interceptions.

Bear Bachmeier is more than a fun name and crazy number. BYU is 8-0 and hasn't missed a beat with the handoff from Jake Retzlaff to Bachmeier, who has 1,693 passing yards with 11 TDs to three INT with 408 rushing yards and nine rushing scores.

The top-rated prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, Bryce Underwood has been steady, with a few rough days. Michigan's passing offense is 13th in the Big Ten, but Underwood has 1,671 passing yards and 11 total TDs with just three interceptions for the 7-2 Wolverines.

Pitt turned to Mason Heintschel after back-to-back losses to West Virginia and Louisville. The Panthers have won five in a row since he's been the starter, and Heintschel has passed for more than 300 yards in four of his five starts.

A backup in high school, Drew Mestemaker walked on at North Texas. He started last year's bowl after Chandler Morris portalled and has UNT in the CFP mix this season. He's third in nation in passing yards (2,702), including 608 vs. Charlotte. He has 21 TDs to four INTs.

Fernando Mendoza is now a Heisman favorite at Indiana, but Cal found his replacement in Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. JKS began at Oregon before transferring to Cal, where he became only second freshman QB to start opener (Jared Goff). He's 17th in nation in passing yards (2,195).

One of the top-ranked QBs in 2025 class, Malik Washington got off to a hot start, leading Maryland to a 4-0 start, eclipsing 250 passing yards in each game. The Terrapins have lost four straight but not because of Washington, who has more passing yard than Carson Beck.

Minnesota is already bowl eligible (6-3) with Drake Lindsey under center. The 6-5 giant from Arkansas redshirted last season after appearing in three games. He had rough days vs. Ohio State and Iowa (who hasn't?), but still has 1,743 passing yards and 14 total TDs.

Hawaii's Micah Alejado has thrown for 300+ yards in four of his seven games, including back-to-back games over 400 yards. His 303.4 passing yards per game ranks fifth in the nation, and he's thrown for 15 TDs and six interceptions.

A redshirt freshman, Brad Jackson has been a dual threat for Texas State. He's 34th in nation in passing yards (2,016), including 444 yards vs. Marshall, and has 427 rushing yards, including 131 vs. Arkansas State. He has 10 passing TDs and nine rushing scores.

1 / 10

These 10 college football freshman QBs are making an instant impact. Take a look

Notre Dame QB CJ Carr has the Fighting Irish fighting for a playoff spot heading into Week 11. He's 30th in nation in passing yards (2,057, just six fewer than Diego Pavia) with 16 passing TDs to four interceptions.

1 / 10

These 10 college football freshman QBs are making an instant impact. Take a look

Notre Dame QB CJ Carr has the Fighting Irish fighting for a playoff spot heading into Week 11. He's 30th in nation in passing yards (2,057, just six fewer than Diego Pavia) with 16 passing TDs to four interceptions.

2 / 10

These 10 college football freshman QBs are making an instant impact. Take a look

Bear Bachmeier is more than a fun name and crazy number. BYU is 8-0 and hasn't missed a beat with the handoff from Jake Retzlaff to Bachmeier, who has 1,693 passing yards with 11 TDs to three INT with 408 rushing yards and nine rushing scores.

3 / 10

These 10 college football freshman QBs are making an instant impact. Take a look

The top-rated prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, Bryce Underwood has been steady, with a few rough days. Michigan's passing offense is 13th in the Big Ten, but Underwood has 1,671 passing yards and 11 total TDs with just three interceptions for the 7-2 Wolverines.

4 / 10

These 10 college football freshman QBs are making an instant impact. Take a look

Pitt turned to Mason Heintschel after back-to-back losses to West Virginia and Louisville. The Panthers have won five in a row since he's been the starter, and Heintschel has passed for more than 300 yards in four of his five starts.

5 / 10

These 10 college football freshman QBs are making an instant impact. Take a look

A backup in high school, Drew Mestemaker walked on at North Texas. He started last year's bowl after Chandler Morris portalled and has UNT in the CFP mix this season. He's third in nation in passing yards (2,702), including 608 vs. Charlotte. He has 21 TDs to four INTs.

6 / 10

These 10 college football freshman QBs are making an instant impact. Take a look

Fernando Mendoza is now a Heisman favorite at Indiana, but Cal found his replacement in Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. JKS began at Oregon before transferring to Cal, where he became only second freshman QB to start opener (Jared Goff). He's 17th in nation in passing yards (2,195).

7 / 10

These 10 college football freshman QBs are making an instant impact. Take a look

One of the top-ranked QBs in 2025 class, Malik Washington got off to a hot start, leading Maryland to a 4-0 start, eclipsing 250 passing yards in each game. The Terrapins have lost four straight but not because of Washington, who has more passing yard than Carson Beck.

8 / 10

These 10 college football freshman QBs are making an instant impact. Take a look

Minnesota is already bowl eligible (6-3) with Drake Lindsey under center. The 6-5 giant from Arkansas redshirted last season after appearing in three games. He had rough days vs. Ohio State and Iowa (who hasn't?), but still has 1,743 passing yards and 14 total TDs.

9 / 10

These 10 college football freshman QBs are making an instant impact. Take a look

Hawaii's Micah Alejado has thrown for 300+ yards in four of his seven games, including back-to-back games over 400 yards. His 303.4 passing yards per game ranks fifth in the nation, and he's thrown for 15 TDs and six interceptions.

10 / 10

These 10 college football freshman QBs are making an instant impact. Take a look

A redshirt freshman, Brad Jackson has been a dual threat for Texas State. He's 34th in nation in passing yards (2,016), including 444 yards vs. Marshall, and has 427 rushing yards, including 131 vs. Arkansas State. He has 10 passing TDs and nine rushing scores.

Speaking of Northwestern, Fox will broadcast the Wildcats' first game at Ryan Field on Friday, Oct. 2 against Penn State, which enters the season under first-year coach Matt Campbell. As noted by USA TODAY, Northwestern's $862 million state-of-the-art stadium has been built on the grounds of the old Ryan Field, and was funded mostly by the Ryan Family and their company Ryan Sports Development.

Both Northwestern and Washington will be featured on Fox's Friday night game twice this upcoming season. Fox will also once again broadcast the Mountain West championship game.

Fox College Football Friday Schedule 2026

Here's a full look at Fox's College Football Friday Schedule for the upcoming 2026 season:

All times Eastern

• Sept. 4: Fresno State at USC, 9 p.m.
• Sept. 11: Missouri at Kansas, 8 p.m.
• Sept. 18: Houston at Texas Tech, 8 p.m.
• Sept. 25: Northwestern at Indiana, 8 p.m.
• Oct. 2: Penn State at Northwestern, 8 p.m.
• Oct. 9: Iowa at Washington, 9 p.m.
• Oct. 16: Washington at Purdue, 8 p.m.
• Nov. 6: Nebraska at Illinois, 8 p.m.
• Nov. 13: Illinois at UCLA, 9 p.m.
• Nov. 20: Oregon at Michigan State, 8 p.m.
• Nov. 27: West Virginia at Utah, 8 p.m. or 9 p.m.
• Dec. 4: Mountain West Championship, 9 p.m.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football schedule 2026: Fox Sports announces Friday games