Ohio State Club Football is set to kick off its fourth national championship defense in the fall of 2026, which features plenty of familiar foes and one that is new to the Ohio college football scene.
In addition to its conference schedule – which was released in February – Ohio State has added Rio Grande’s JV squad to the schedule as well as Cincinnati United Prep. The Rio Grande Red Storm are entering their second season of NAIA football after resurrecting their program in 2025, while the Buckeyes are set to take on the Cincinnati United Prep Bulls for the third year in a row.
The Red Storm went 0-9 in their first year of varsity football, however they are under new leadership entering 2026. Mike Bartrum, who has more than a decade of playing experience in the NFL and spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach at Marshall University takes over and has Rio Grande ready to take the next step. Ohio State is set to travel to Oak Hill High School on Sunday, Oct. 11 to take on Bartrum’s Red Storm JV team at 1:30 p.m.
On Nov. 1, Ohio State is set to renew its series against the Cincinnati United Preparatory Bulls. The Buckeyes have won both of their prior two matchups, a 21-20 nail-biter in 2024 and a blowout win, 60-6, in 2025. The matchup is once again likely to be Senior Day for Ohio State, with kickoff set for 12 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Kickoff times for the majority of Ohio State’s regular season games have also been confirmed. The season opener at Michigan State is set for a 1 p.m. start on Sunday, Sept. 20. A location has yet to be confirmed.
Ohio State’s home opener on Sunday, Oct. 4 is set for 12 p.m. against George Mason. The Buckeyes defeated the Patriots in last year’s season opener, 40-3. Ohio State has not hosted George Mason in Columbus since 2021, a 29-28 thriller that served as a preview of that year’s national championship game. George Mason is entering its first year under new head coach Lamont Gore, who takes over for Orvin Weatherly after just one season. Gore is George Mason’s fifth head coach in the last six years and served as the Patriots’ wide receivers coach last year.
Finally, the Buckeyes are scheduled to host their first home night game since 2019 on Saturday, Oct. 24 against longtime rival Wright State. Ohio State last hosted a home night game in the regular season finale of the 2019 season, a 37-8 win over now-defunct Miami (OH). Kickoff against the Raiders is set for 5 p.m. Wright State will also be under new leadership after head coach Markee Zrnich resigned after four years at the helm. The Raiders have not yet announced who their new head coach will be for the 2026 season.
Start times for Ohio State’s road games against Pittsburgh and Toledo have yet to be announced. The Buckeyes are set to travel to Pittsburgh on Sunday, Sept. 27 and head to Toledo on Sunday, Nov. 8. The Panthers are making their return to the NCFA in 2026 after a four-year program hiatus. The last time the two programs met was in 2019, a 41-0 Ohio State victory. The two teams were set to meet again in 2023 before the Panther program ceased operations.
The Rockets are set to host Ohio State for the third time in 2026. The Buckeyes are 5-0 all-time against Toledo and 4-0 all-time in the Toledo Glass Bowl, including two appearances in the NCFA Semifinals. The Buckeyes won last year’s meeting against the Rockets, 58-8.
Should Ohio State win the Great Lakes East, the Buckeyes would also play host to the Great Lakes semifinals and the Great Lakes Championship Game. In the event Ohio State would host, both games would be played on Sundays (Nov. 15 and Nov. 22, respectively) and would start at 12 p.m.
Ohio State’s entire schedule can be viewed here and will be updated with start times and locations as they are confirmed.
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