North Dakota Fighting Hawks Football TV Schedule, Channels, Times
How to watch live stream North Dakota Fighting Hawks football game today, tonight, or tomorrow? What channel & time?
The North Dakota Fighting Hawks compete in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, where every conference game streams live on ESPN+. Home games at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks are also available on ESPN+, while the season's lone nationally televised matchup comes on September 19 when the Fighting Hawks travel to Nebraska. That game airs on the Big Ten Network as North Dakota takes on one of college football's traditional powers inside Memorial Stadium. The Fighting Hawks open the season with two home games before beginning a challenging stretch that includes four consecutive road contests. Under second-year head coach Eric Schmidt, North Dakota is aiming to remain among the Missouri Valley's elite after several consecutive playoff appearances. As always, the demanding MVFC schedule leaves little room for error, with matchups against South Dakota State, South Dakota, Northern Iowa, and Southern Illinois expected to play major roles in both the conference championship race and the FCS playoff picture.
| North Dakota Fighting Hawks TV Schedule 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Game | Time ET | TV |
| Week 1 (Thu, Aug. 27) | vs LIU | 8:00 PM | ESPN+ |
| Week 2 (Sat, Sept. 5) | vs St. Thomas (Potato Bowl USA) | 4:00 PM | ESPN+ |
| Week 3 (Sat, Sept. 12) | @ Portland State | 9:00 PM | ESPN+ |
| Week 4 (Sat, Sept. 19) | @ Nebraska | 7:15 PM | Big Ten Network |
| Week 5 (Sat, Sept. 26) | @ Indiana State * | 1:00 PM | ESPN+ |
| Week 6 (Sat, Oct. 3) | vs Murray State * (Homecoming) | 2:00 PM | ESPN+ |
| Week 7 (Sat, Oct. 10) | @ Northern Iowa * | 5:00 PM | ESPN+ |
| Week 8 (Sat, Oct. 17) | vs South Dakota State * | 2:00 PM | ESPN+ |
| Week 9 (Sat, Oct. 24) | @ South Dakota * | 2:00 PM | ESPN+ |
| Week 10 (Sat, Oct. 31) | @ Youngstown State * | 12:00 PM | ESPN+ |
| Week 11 (Sat, Nov. 7) | vs Illinois State * | 2:00 PM | ESPN+ |
| Week 12 (Sat, Nov. 14) | BYE WEEK | — | — |
| Week 13 (Sat, Nov. 21) | vs Southern Illinois * (Senior Day) | 2:00 PM | ESPN+ |
* Missouri Valley Football Conference game. Home games are played at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
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Which North Dakota Fighting Hawks games are worth watching in 2026?
North Dakota's biggest non-conference test comes on September 19 with a nationally televised trip to Nebraska on the Big Ten Network. Playing in front of more than 85,000 fans at Memorial Stadium gives the Fighting Hawks an opportunity to measure themselves against a traditional FBS powerhouse before Missouri Valley competition begins. Conference play opens the following week at Indiana State before a demanding October stretch that includes Northern Iowa, perennial national champion South Dakota State, and in-state rival South Dakota in consecutive weeks.
The home matchup against South Dakota State on October 17 could once again rank among the premier FCS games of the regular season, while the road trip to Vermillion a week later renews one of the Dakotas' fiercest rivalries. North Dakota closes the year with home games against Illinois State and Southern Illinois after a late bye week, and both contests could have significant implications for conference standings and FCS playoff seeding. In a league where nearly every weekend features ranked opponents, the Fighting Hawks once again face one of the nation's most demanding schedules.
