Frontier Conference announces 2026 football schedule

January 22, 2026

HELENA, Mont. - The Frontier Conference announced their 2026 schedule Thursday.  The 2026 schedule features the flip-flops of home-away crossover games and divisional games from the 2025 season.

The NAIA football regular season schedule begins on Thursday, Aug. 27.  Carroll (Mont.), Frontier West, is set to host Frontier East’s MSU-Northern in a non-conference contest on the opening night, while Valley City State (N.D.) travels to Southwest Minnesota State on the same night.

Also on the opening week, six other Frontier football teams are set to play on Aug. 29.  Eastern Oregon hosts College of Idaho in a non-conference contest, while Simpson (Calif.) welcomes Southern Oregon in a non-conference game.  Dakota State (S.D.) hosts Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) and Mayville State (N.D.) travels to Briar Cliff (Iowa).

The non-conference schedule continues Sept. 5 as Arizona Christian opens their season at Fort Lewis (Colo.).  In addition to the team’s season openers, Montana Western travels to MSU-Northern, Montana Tech hosts Carroll, and Rocky Mountain (Mont.) travels to College of Idaho.

The Frontier Conference’s crossover contests (West vs. East) are set for two weeks span on Sept. 19 and Sept. 26 (except for Valley City State at Simpson, which is scheduled for Halloween).  Those cross-over contests are counted as non-conference.

The six-game divisional matchups (counted as a conference game) begin on Oct. 3.  Montana Tech won the East Division, while College of Idaho captured the West Division.  The Yotes advanced to the national semifinals last December before falling to eventual national runner-up Keiser (Fla.). 

Each team will have a bye week during the divisional schedule, with the regular season schedule ending on Nov. 14.

The winners of the East and West Divisions will receive the Frontier Conference’s automatic bid for the NAIA Football Championships Series (FCS), which is set for Nov. 21.

Game times will be announced on the school’s athletics website later.

Schedule of Fall 2026 Games by division:
 
East Division (Division games start in October)
13017
23587
23588
22718
18437
22716
12999
Thursday, Aug. 27 at
21312
at
24405
Saturday, Aug. 29
12501
at
23885
Saturday, Sept. 5 at
16048
at
12999
at
24406
 
22715
 
21312
at
23941
23587
Saturday, Sept. 12
23590
 
22718
24048
at
23587
at
22715
Saturday, Sept. 19  
22722
at
21312
 
23177
 
23941
 
22720
at
22715
 
22721
Saturday, Sept. 26 at
22720
 
22715
at
22722
at
22721
at
23941
 
21312
Saturday, Oct. 3  
18437
 
23588
at
23587
at
13017
 
12999
at
22716
Saturday, Oct. 10  
23587
at
13017
 
12999
at
18437
 
22718
at
23588
Saturday, Oct. 17 at
12999
 
22716
at
22718
 
23588
at
23587
 
13017
Saturday, Oct. 24  
12999
 
18437
at
22716
at
23588
 
22718
at
23587
Saturday, Oct. 31  
23588
at
22718
at
13017
 
23587
 
22716
at
18437
at
23177
Saturday, Nov. 7 at
22716
at
18437
at
12999
 
23587
 
13017
 
22718
Saturday, Nov. 14 at
22718
 
22716
 
13017
at
12999
at
23588
 
18437


 
West Division (Division games start in October)
22722
21312
23941
22721
23177
22720
22715
Thursday, Aug. 27
22718
Saturday, Aug. 29 at
22721
23941
22720
at
23177
Saturday, Sept. 5 at
20904
at
18437
 
22716
 
23593
at
22718
Saturday, Sept. 12
18437
Saturday, Sept. 19 at
13017
 
23587
at
22718
at
12999
at
23588
at
18437
 
22716
Saturday, Sept. 26  
23588
at
22716
 
18437
 
22718
 
13017
at
23587
Saturday, Oct. 3 at
21312
 
22722
 
23177
at
23941
at
22715
 
22720
Saturday, Oct. 10  
22721
 
22715
at
22722
at
22720
 
23177
at
21312
Saturday, Oct. 17  
13011
at
23177
at
22715
 
22720
 
21312
at
22721
23941
Saturday, Oct. 24 at
22720
 
22721
at
23941
at
22715
 
22722
 
23177
Saturday, Oct. 31
23941
 
22720
at
22722
 
22715
12999
at
21312
at
22721
Saturday, Nov. 7  
22715
at
23941
 
21312
at
23177
 
22721
at
22722
Saturday, Nov. 14 at
23177
at
22721
at
22720
 
21312
 
22722
23941



 

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