Washington football to play consecutive Friday games in 2026

The Washington Huskies will have to play two games on Friday night during the 2026 season...in back-to-back weeks.

First, after coming off their first road trip of the year to Southern California to take on the USC Trojans, Jedd Fisch's team will be on a short week when it returns home to face off with the Iowa Hawkeyes, which will now be played on Friday, October 9, and broadcast on either FOX or FS1, depending on the MLB playoffs.

While the Hawkeyes will always be a tough, physical program under coach Kirk Ferentz, on a short week, the Huskies should still hold an advantage in the game at home. Ferentz has traditionally struggled on the West Coast to the tune of a 2-7 record.

Then, the Huskies won't get an extra day of rest as they head east to West Lafayette, Indiana, for a matchup with the Purdue Boilermakers on Friday, October 16, for a matchup that will be broadcast on FOX.

While the travel may take a toll on UW, Fisch's team will once again have a significant talent advantage over coach Barry Odom's team after the Huskies pulled off a 49-13 win over the Boilermakers in what was an oddly chippy game last season, most likely thanks in large part to several ties between the programs, with former Purdue head coach and now-Washington defensive coordinator Ryan Walters being the most notable.

While the schedule will be a little odd for a little while, that will give the Huskies an extra day of rest during their bye week before they head to Nebraska on Saturday, October 31.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies receive two Friday games on 2026 schedule