Excitement is growing in Tempe (Ariz.) behind Kenny Dillingham and Arizona State football.
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It made the College Football Playoff in 2024 and finished last year at 8-5, but the Sun Devils now have its schedule for next season. Dillingham and ASU will open the 2026 campaign on Sept. 5 versus Morgan State.
Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham walks the field prior to a game against Arizona at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, on Nov. 28, 2025. © Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
How does the schedule for Arizona State stack up?
The Big 12 programs it faces in conference are Baylor, Kansas, Texas Tech, Kansas State, Colorado, Central Florida (UCF), Brigham Young (BYU), Oklahoma State, and Arizona.
Arizona State matches up with the Jayhawks on Sept. 19 in London, while it will not face Cincinnati, West Virginia, TCU, Iowa State, Houston, or Utah in the regular season.
Pete Thamel of ESPN reported Wednesday morning that ASU will face Texas Tech in week seven of the season, which is set for Oct. 17.
The Big 12 scheduling announcement kicks off in an hour on ESPNU. Presumptive favorite Texas Tech will play ASU in Week 7, and sources told ESPN they will not play both BYU and Utah. The Big 12 works off a scheduling matrix that rotates opponents. Utah also misses ASU. https://t.co/08Wa01hZf0
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 21, 2026
Arizona State’s 2026 path is set 🔱 pic.twitter.com/wYvqrOTVho
— PHNX Sun Devils (@PHNX_SunDevils) January 21, 2026
Arizona State has a lot to be energetic about, especially after what happened on Monday night.
Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham walks the field before playing against Texas in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Jan 1, 2025, in Atlanta, Ga.
Indiana University won the CFP National Championship, proving that anyone can get to the top of the mountain in this name, image, and likeness (NIL)/transfer portal era of college football. Arizona State has the resources and coaching staff to be a team in the future to hoist a CFP Trophy under Dillingham. It also did a lot of work to bolster its roster in the transfer portal.
ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham celebrates with Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) after a touchdown drive against BYU during the first half at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Nov. 23, 2024. © Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The schedule is set, but it will be fun to see how ASU masters it.
Stephen M. Smith is a writer for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @CoachingMSmith.
