The 2026 college football season opens with a bang as the Southeastern Conference rolls out its Week 1 slate, featuring a mix of traditional powerhouses and lesser‑known programs eager to make an early statement.
Week 1 Schedule and Venues
Missouri will host Arkansas‑Pine Bluff at Memorial Stadium in Columbia on Thursday night, while Oklahoma takes the field at its own Memorial Stadium in Norman on Friday evening to face UTEP. On Saturday afternoon, Tennessee meets Furman at Neyland Stadium, and a host of other SEC teams open their campaigns against a variety of non‑conference opponents across the region.
Nolan Analytics has crunched the numbers and issued score predictions for the opening week, with Missouri projected to dominate Arkansas‑Pine Bluff 54‑6, Oklahoma expected to win 39‑7 over UTEP, and Tennessee forecasted to triumph 54‑10 against Furman. Other notable forecasts include East Carolina losing 37‑14 to Alabama, Kent State falling 44‑7 to South Carolina, and Youngstown State dropping 35‑20 to Kentucky.
With the full SEC schedule stretching beyond Week 1, the early predictions provide a glimpse of the storylines that will unfold throughout the season, from high‑scoring blowouts to tightly contested battles, as teams vie for early momentum and conference bragging rights.