EASTON, Pa. – The 2026 Lafayette football schedule is out and includes an FBS match-up and a nine-game conference ledger on tap for the Leopards in their 145th season.  

For the first time in 16 years, Lafayette will open its campaign with a conference foe, traveling to Georgetown on Aug. 29. 

The Leopards, who played two FBS games in 2025, will make the trip to Connecticut to face the Huskies, who were a nine-win team last season and appeared in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl against Army. UConn will be coached by former Toledo coach Jason Candle, who took over the program Dec. 9.

Lafayette kicks off its home slate on Sept. 12., hosting Marist, who Lafayette last played in 2024. The Leopards are 6-0 in the all-time series, which dates back to 1999. Week four takes the Maroon and White to Columbia for the only contest vs. an Ivy League opponent in 2026. The teams have played each of the last three seasons, resulting in a 2-1 mark for the Leopards. 

When the month of September comes to a close, Lafayette will begin the Patriot League stretch run, which has expanded from six games as recently as 2023 to eight in 2026. Holy Cross comes to College Hill on Sept. 26, having split the last four series meetings, including a 21-13 Leopard win in week nine of 2025.

Head coach John Troxell's squad remains at home to open October, welcoming second-year Patriot League football associate member Richmond to Fisher Stadium, which will host games in its 100th season. The Leopards are 4-0 in the all-time series, counting match-ups in 1922, 2004, 2005 and 2025 (35-28).

After a bye week, Lafayette will take the two-hour trip across I-80 to Bucknell under the direction of new head coach Jeff Behrman. The Leopards have won four of the last five against the Bison (their second-most frequent foe), and scored a season-high 62 points in the 2025 installment. Lafayette stays on the road against Fordham, looking to make it three straight over the Rams who finished 1-11 in 2025.

The Leopards will face the newest Patriot League football members in weeks nine and 10. Lafayette hosts Villanova, a 2025 NCAA FCS Playoff semifinalist, on Halloween before heading to Williamsburg, Va. to tangle with William & Mary on Nov. 7. 

A second-straight road game takes Lafayette to Colgate on Nov. 14. The Leopards are 3-1 over the last four meetings with the Raiders, who were one of the most-improved teams in the conference in 2025. 

Week 12 will see Fisher Stadium, which featured a sell-out crowd in 2025, play host to Lehigh for the 162nd meeting of college football's most-played rivalry. The weekend also will serve as Homecoming and Family Weekend on College Hill and will mark the conclusion of the College's Bicentennial celebration.

Lafayette wrapped up the 2025 season in second place in the Patriot League standings, ending the season with an 8-4 overall record and the program's first-ever 6-1 mark in conference play. The Leopards will begin their spring football season on March 24 followed by the Maroon and White Spring Showcase at 11 a.m. on April 25 at Fisher Stadium. 
 

NOTES: 

Lafayette's Aug. 29 season-opening date is the second earliest, behind only the Aug. 28, 2025 at Bowling Green. 

2026 will mark the most ever conference games that Lafayette will play (9).