Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Football TV Schedule, Channels, Times
How to watch live stream Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football game today, tonight, or tomorrow? What channel & time?
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers compete in Conference USA, where games are televised across CBS Sports Network, ESPN2, and ESPN digital platforms. The 2026 season opens with three straight road games, including Power Four trips to Georgia and Indiana before the Hilltoppers finally return home to Bowling Green. Conference USA's weekday television package once again puts WKU in the national spotlight with Thursday and Tuesday night games, including nationally televised matchups against New Mexico State, Missouri State, Sam Houston, and Delaware. Home games are played at Houchens Industries–L.T. Smith Stadium, where Western Kentucky has consistently fielded one of the conference's most explosive offenses under head coach Tyson Helton. After another winning season, the Hilltoppers once again enter 2026 as one of the favorites to contend for the Conference USA championship, with several nationally televised conference games likely to determine the race for a spot in the CUSA Championship Game.
| Western Kentucky Hilltoppers TV Schedule 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Game | Time ET | TV |
| Week 1 (Sat, Sept. 5) | @ Nevada | 10:30 PM | CBS Sports Network |
| Week 2 (Sat, Sept. 12) | @ Georgia | 12:45 PM | SEC Network |
| Week 3 (Sat, Sept. 19) | @ Indiana | 4:00 PM | Peacock |
| Week 4 (Sat, Sept. 26) | vs Mercyhurst | 7:00 PM | ESPN Platforms |
| Week 5 (Thu, Oct. 1) | @ New Mexico State * | 8:00 PM | CBS Sports Network |
| Week 6 (Thu, Oct. 8) | vs Missouri State * | 7:00 PM | CBS Sports Network |
| Week 7 (Wed, Oct. 14) | @ Sam Houston * | 8:00 PM | ESPN2 |
| Week 8 (Tue, Oct. 27) | vs Delaware * | 7:00 PM | CBS Sports Network |
| Week 9 (Sat, Nov. 7) | @ Middle Tennessee * | 3:30 PM | ESPN Platforms |
| Week 10 (Sat, Nov. 14) | vs Jacksonville State * (Homecoming) | 3:30 PM | ESPN Platforms |
| Week 11 (Sat, Nov. 21) | @ Liberty * | 1:00 PM | ESPN Platforms |
| Week 12 (Sat, Nov. 28) | vs Kennesaw State * | 1:00 PM | ESPN Platforms |
* Conference USA game. Home games are played at Houchens Industries–L.T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
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Which Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football games are worth watching in 2026?
Western Kentucky faces one of the nation's toughest non-conference schedules with consecutive road trips to Georgia and defending national champion Indiana after opening the year at Nevada. Those three games will provide an immediate measuring stick before Conference USA play begins on October 1 at New Mexico State. The Hilltoppers also feature prominently in the league's weekday television package, appearing on Thursday, Wednesday, and Tuesday nights in nationally televised contests against New Mexico State, Missouri State, Sam Houston, and Delaware. Those midweek games have become a signature part of Conference USA and routinely attract a national audience.
The race for the Conference USA title intensifies during November with road trips to longtime rival Middle Tennessee and defending conference power Liberty surrounding a Homecoming matchup against Jacksonville State. The regular season concludes at home against Kennesaw State, but the November 21 showdown at Liberty could ultimately decide who earns a place in the Conference USA Championship Game. With multiple nationally televised conference games and one of the most challenging non-conference schedules in the Group of Five, the Hilltoppers should once again be one of the most entertaining teams to follow throughout the 2026 season.
