Buckeye Reporter

Bowling Green State University has announced the addition of three future football games to its schedule, involving matchups with South Florida and Tarleton State.

The Falcons will play a home-and-home series against South Florida, a member of the American Conference. The first game is set for September 26, 2026, at Doyt Perry Stadium in Bowling Green. The return game will take place on September 14, 2030, at South Florida's new on-campus stadium, which is expected to open in 2027. The two teams have met only once before, in 2002, when Bowling Green traveled to Tampa under coach Urban Meyer and suffered one of their three losses that season.

In addition to the South Florida games, Bowling Green will host Tarleton State to start the 2026 season on September 5. This matchup replaces a previously scheduled game with Saint Francis. Saint Francis had announced in March its decision to move from Division I FCS down to Division III for the 2026-27 academic year. Tarleton State currently competes at the FCS level but has been linked with a possible move up to FBS as soon as 2026. Bowling Green and Tarleton State have not played each other before.

With these additions, Bowling Green's non-conference schedule for 2026 is now complete. The team had already scheduled away games at Nebraska on September 12 and Iowa State on September 19.

"The Falcons have signed on for a home-and-home series with South Florida out of the American Conference. The first meeting will be at Doyt Perry Stadium on Sept. 26, 2026. BGSU will return the visit on Sept. 14, 2030, facing the Bulls in USF's new on-campus stadium, which is scheduled to open for the 2027 season. The programs have met only once before — in 2002 — when an Urban Meyer-led BGSU team traveled to Tampa, resulting in one of the Falcons' three losses that season."

"Bowling Green will also host Tarleton State to open the 2026 season on Sept. 5 at Doyt Perry Stadium. This game replaces a previously scheduled contest with Saint Francis, which announced in March a move from the Division I FCS level down to Division III for the 2026-27 academic year. Tarleton State is an FCS program out of Stephenville, Texas, but has been rumored to be making a jump to the FBS level as early as 2026. BGSU has never faced Tarleton State in football."

"The addition of South Florida and Tarleton State finalizes BGSU's non-conference schedule for 2026. The Falcons had previously announced 2026 games at Nebraska on Sept. 12 and at Iowa State on Sept. 19."