Fairmont State Opens 2026 Football Season Against Division I Dayton
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Fairmont State University will begin the 2026 football season with three road games during its first four weeks, including an opening matchup against NCAA Division I opponent Dayton.
The Fighting Falcons will travel to Dayton, Ohio, for a noon kickoff Saturday, Aug. 29, at Welcome Stadium. Dayton competes at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision level as a member of the Pioneer Football League.
The Flyers finished the 2025 season with a 7-4 record and enter the new year with a pair of players receiving national preseason recognition. Fairmont State, meanwhile, will be looking to build on a 6-5 season that included 14 players earning All-Mountain East Conference honors.
Fairmont State will have a quick turnaround following the opener, returning home five days later to face Bloomsburg University at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, at Duvall-Rosier Field. The home opener has been designated as the program’s Black Out game.
The Falcons will return to Ohio for a noon game against the University of Findlay on Sept. 12 before beginning Mountain East Conference play Sept. 19 at Wheeling University. That gives Fairmont State three road contests during the opening four-game stretch.
Back-to-back home conference games follow. Fairmont State will host West Virginia State University at 1 p.m. Sept. 26 for its White Out and Mental Health Awareness Day before welcoming Glenville State University for Homecoming at 2 p.m. Oct. 3.
The Falcons will travel to Buckhannon to face West Virginia Wesleyan on Oct. 10 before an open weekend on the schedule. Fairmont State returns to action Oct. 24 at the University of Charleston.
The final two home games will be played on consecutive Saturdays. West Liberty University visits Fairmont on Oct. 31 for Kids Day and Breast Cancer Awareness Day, followed by Concord University on Nov. 7 for Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day.
Fairmont State will close the regular season Nov. 14 on the road against Frostburg State University.
The 11-game schedule includes five home games and six road contests. It will be the third season under head coach Luke Barker, who has compiled a 13-9 record during his first two years leading the program.
Fairmont State also added 43 players through its 2026 recruiting class, including 11 midyear transfers and 32 high school seniors.
Fans can follow the Falcons throughout the season for schedules, live broadcasts, statistics, roster information and team updates through the official Fairmont State football website.
