WILLIAMSBURG, Va.—William & Mary has announced the Tribe's 2026 football schedule, which features a 12-game slate and is highlighted by six home games at Zable Stadium.
 
The 2026 campaign will mark the beginning of a new era in the program's storied history, as it embarks upon its inaugural season in the Patriot League and will square off against all nine league opponents. Five of those conference matchups will be played in Williamsburg.
 
Season tickets, including renewals and Green & Gold Tribe Passes, are now on sale at TribeAthletics.com.

W&M's non-conference slate features a contest against Delaware State for the Tribe's home opener on Sept. 5, while it will also play at Duke (Sept. 26), the defending ACC Champions, and North Carolina Central (Oct. 10).
 
The Tribe's five-game conference home schedule features matchups against Fordham (Sept. 19), Holy Cross (Oct. 3), Georgetown (Oct. 24, Homecoming), Lafayette (Nov. 7) and Bucknell (Nov. 14).
 
The league road slate includes trips to Villanova for the season opener on Aug. 29, as well as contests at Lehigh (Sept. 12), Colgate (Oct. 31) and Richmond (Nov. 21). The Capital Cup Game Presented by C&F Bank versus longtime rival UR will conclude the regular season and mark the 137th meeting between the two programs.

"We are excited about the 2026 schedule," W&M Head Coach Mike London said. "The slate features a number of very talented teams and title contenders. We look forward to our inaugural season in the Patriot League and are excited to see all the Tribe fans at Zable Stadium this fall!"
 
All-time series notes versus each opponent are available below.
 
W&M enters the 2026 campaign having posted five consecutive winning seasons, marking the program's longest stretch of winning ledgers since the 1990s.
 
2026 Schedule
Aug. 29       at Villanova*
Sept. 5        DELAWARE STATE
Sept. 12       at Lehigh*
Sept. 19      FORDHAM*
Sept. 26       at Duke
Oct. 3         HOLY CROSS*
Oct. 10        at North Carolina Central
Oct. 24       GEORGETOWN* (Homecoming) 
Oct. 31        at Colgate*
Nov. 7         LAFAYETTE*
Nov. 14       BUCKNELL*
Nov. 21       at Richmond*
 
Home games in bold
*Indicates Patriot League conference game
 
 
Series Notes
 
Villanova
Former CAA foe that also begins its first season in the Patriot League … W&M controls the all-time series, 20-17-1 … Although the Tribe is 8-12 versus the Wildcats on the road, it has won three of the last four matchups at Villanova … Additionally, W&M has won four of the last six meetings … The Wildcats won last season's contest, 31-24, at Villanova … The teams first played in 1966, a 34-14 W&M victory in Williamsburg … Villanova advanced to the NCAA Semifinals last season and finished the 2025 campaign with a 12-3 record.
 
Delaware State
Will be the first meeting between W&M and the Hornets … DSU posted an 8-4 record under first-year head coach DeSean Jackson last season.
 
Lehigh
W&M owns an 8-1 advantage in the all-time series … The teams last met in 1992, a 26-13 W&M victory in Williamsburg … The Tribe is 5-0 against the Mountain Hawks at Zable Stadium … Lehigh won the Patriot League last season after posting a perfect 12-0 record during the regular season en route to earning the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Playoffs.
 
Fordham
Will be the first contest between the two schools … Fordham registered a 1-11 overall record and a 1-6 mark in the Patriot League last season.
 
Duke
W&M controls the all-time series, 6-1, and won the first six meetings … The teams first played during the 1921 campaign in Durham, a 12-0 W&M victory … The teams last met in 1955 at Duke, which the Blue Devils won, 47-7 … Duke is the defending ACC Champion after defeating Virginia in the league's title game last season.
 
Holy Cross
The teams have played just twice, with the Crusaders winning both matchups coming in 1986 and 1987 … HC posted a 3-9 record overall and a 3-4 mark in the Patriot League last season. 
 
North Carolina Central
Will be the first meeting between the two schools … NC Central posted an 8-4 record last season.
 
Georgetown
W&M and Georgetown have played just three times, with the most recent matchup coming in 1934 … All three contests were played in Washington, D.C., as the Hoyas won two of those games … Georgetown earned a 6-6 record last season and posted a 3-4 mark in conference play.
 
Colgate
The Tribe controls the all-time series against Colgate, 8-4 … After dropping the first two meetings, W&M has won eight of the last 10 matchups and five of the last six … W&M won the last meeting, 27-7, on the road and is 3-1 all-time in Hamilton.
 
Lafayette
W&M has won seven of the eight all-time meetings against Lafayette … The Leopards claimed the first matchup, 17-14, in Williamsburg in 2012, but W&M has won the last seven contests … W&M won the last meeting, 34-7, at Lafayette in 2022.
 
Bucknell
W&M has won all six prior contests versus Bucknell, which includes a 3-0 record at Zable Stadium … The teams last met in 2018, a 14-7 Tribe victory in Lewisburg.
 
Richmond
The Capital Cup presented by C&F Bank will mark the 137th meeting between the two schools in what has been traditionally called the "Oldest Rivalry in the South" – but may be more accurately described as the most PLAYED rivalry in the South … UR owns a 67-64-5 edge in the series … The teams first met in 1898, when Richmond blanked W&M, 15-0 … After squaring off as non-conference opponents last season, the annual regular season-ending rivalry matchup will once again be a league game for both teams.