University of Richmond Athletics
Spiders, Patriot League Release 2026 Football Schedule
01/02/2026 | Football
Richmond, Va. – The University of Richmond football team and the Patriot League announced the Spiders' 2026 schedule Friday.
Richmond will play a balanced 12-game slate with six home games at Robins Stadium and six road contests. The schedule includes three nonconference games and nine Patriot League matchups, including games against new league members Villanova and longtime rival William & Mary.
Home games in 2026 include Bucknell (Aug. 29), Georgetown (Sept. 19), Furman (Sept. 26, Family Weekend), Colgate (Oct. 24, Homecoming), Lehigh (Nov. 14) and William & Mary (Nov. 21). Road games include Howard (Sept. 5), NC State (Sept. 12), Lafayette (Oct. 3), Fordham (Oct. 10), Holy Cross (Oct. 31) and Villanova (Nov. 7).
The season opens Aug. 29 with Patriot League play as Bucknell visits Robins Stadium. Richmond is 3-1 all-time against the Bison, with the most recent meeting coming in 2025, the first as conference opponents, when Bucknell won 33-28.
Richmond's first nonconference road game is Sept. 5 at Howard. The Bison visited Richmond in 2025, where the Spiders earned a 13-12 win to improve to 3-0 all-time in the series.
The Spiders face FBS opponent NC State on Sept. 12 in Raleigh, N.C. The programs have met 20 times dating back to 1895. The series was last played in 2013, when NC State narrowly won, 23-21.
Georgetown comes to Robins Stadium on Sept. 19. Richmond won the 2025 meeting in Washington, D.C., 31-24.
Richmond hosts Furman on Sept. 26 for Family Weekend at Robins Stadium. The former Southern Conference rivals will meet for the first time since 2005. Richmond leads the all-time series 15-10, which began in 1922.
The Spiders begin a two-game conference road stretch with trips to Lafayette on Oct. 3 and Fordham on Oct. 10. Richmond hosted both teams in 2025, defeating Fordham 17-14 before falling to Lafayette 34-28. Richmond is seeking its first win against Lafayette and holds a 2-1-1 all-time record against Fordham.
After a bye week on Oct. 17, Colgate visits Robins Stadium on Oct. 24 for Homecoming. Richmond defeated the Raiders 24-19 on the road in 2025 for its first ever Patriot League win. The Spiders are 6-1 all-time against Colgate and have won six straight meetings.
Richmond travels to Worcester, Mass., on Oct. 31 to face Holy Cross. The teams have met twice previously, most recently in 2025 when Holy Cross won 28-22 at Robins Stadium. Richmond last played in Worcester on Halloween 1964, exactly 62 years prior to the 2026 meeting.
The Spiders travel to Philadelphia to face Villanova on Nov. 7. Former CAA rivals, the programs have met 39 times, with Villanova holding a 25-14 advantage in the series dating to 1955. Villanova advanced to the FCS semifinals in 2025 after a 9-2 regular season.
Lehigh visits Robins Stadium on Nov. 14. Richmond opened the 2025 season at Lehigh, where the Mountain Hawks earned a 21-14 win and later secured a 12-0 regular season record and the No. 5 seed in the FCS playoffs.
The regular season concludes Nov. 21 with the 137th meeting of the Capital Cup, presented by C&F Bank, as William & Mary visits Robins Stadium. Richmond leads the all-time series 67-64-5 and has won 17 of the last 21 meetings.
Game times will be announced at a later date. Updates on 2026 single-game and season ticket information will be available at RichmondSpiders.com and through the program's social media channels. For current season ticket holders, be on the lookout for information via email, texts and phone calls regarding the renewal process for the upcoming season.
For new and fans interested in season tickets, place a $50 per season ticket deposit (non-refundable) that will ensure you are contacted by a ticket office representative at a later date. Deposits will be credited to your final season ticket total.
