Summer in Columbus is winding down, and that means one thing for Buckeye Nation: football is finally close. With roughly six weeks remaining before Ohio State’s season opener, fall camp is right around the corner, and the full 2026 schedule is already locked in and ready for fans to circle on their calendars.
This year’s team enters camp with sky-high expectations. Ohio State returns two of its biggest offensive stars in quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, both of whom enter the season as legitimate Heisman Trophy contenders and should be in the mix for major Big Ten honors as the year unfolds. Head coach Ryan Day, now two seasons removed from his lone national championship, will be looking to keep pace with a conference that has produced the national champion in three consecutive seasons. Here’s everything you need to know about fall camp and every single Ohio State game day this fall.
When Does Ohio State Fall Camp Start?
Ohio State’s fall training camp is officially set to open on Thursday, August 6, with practices continuing through Saturday, August 8. All three sessions will be held at the Harmon Family Football Complex inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, with gates opening at 8 a.m. each day and the team taking the field around 8:50 a.m. Practices run from 9 a.m. to noon.
What makes these first three days of camp especially notable is that they’re open to fans — a tradition the program has continued in recent years to give Buckeye Nation an early look at the roster before the season begins. Tickets for general admission start at $48, while a VIP experience — which includes a shaded viewing area, complimentary food and drinks, a commemorative mini-football, and the chance to grab autographs and photos with select players after practice — runs $143. Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, with an eight-ticket limit per order.
Beyond those three fan-facing practices, the rest of camp will take place behind closed doors as Ryan Day and his staff put the roster through the paces ahead of the season opener.
Ohio State’s Full 2026 Football Schedule
Once camp wraps up, attention shifts fully to the regular season. Ohio State’s 2026 schedule includes seven home games at Ohio Stadium and five true road contests, highlighted by marquee non-conference and conference matchups alike. Here’s the complete game-by-game breakdown:
- Sept. 5 — vs. Ball State (Ohio Stadium) — First-ever meeting between the two programs.
- Sept. 12 — at Texas (Austin, Texas) — Ohio State leads the all-time series 3-2 and won the most recent meeting, 14-7, in 2025.
- Sept. 19 — vs. Kent State (Ohio Stadium) — Ohio State has never lost to Kent State, leading the series 3-0.
- Sept. 26 — vs. Illinois (Ohio Stadium) — Ohio State enters on a win streak after a 34-16 victory over the Illini in 2025.
- Oct. 3 — at Iowa (Kinnick Stadium) — Ohio State’s first trip to Iowa City since 2017.
- Oct. 10 — vs. Maryland (Ohio Stadium) — The Buckeyes remain undefeated all-time against the Terrapins at 9-0.
- Oct. 17 — at Indiana (Memorial Stadium) — A rematch of the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game, which Indiana won 13-10.
- Oct. 24 — Off Week — Ohio State’s lone bye of the regular season, sandwiched between road trips.
- Oct. 31 — at USC (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum) — Ohio State’s first trip to Los Angeles to face the Trojans since 2008.
- Nov. 7 — vs. Oregon (Ohio Stadium) — Oregon’s first-ever trip to Columbus as a Big Ten member, following Ohio State’s 41-21 win over the Ducks in the 2024-25 CFP Quarterfinal.
- Nov. 14 — vs. Northwestern (Ohio Stadium) — Northwestern’s first visit to Ohio Stadium since 2016.
- Nov. 21 — at Nebraska (Memorial Stadium, Lincoln) — Ohio State has won its last three meetings with the Cornhuskers.
- Nov. 28 — vs. Michigan (Ohio Stadium) — The Game returns to Columbus, with Ohio State looking to build on last year’s 27-9 win over the Wolverines.
Should Ohio State qualify, the Big Ten Championship Game is set for Dec. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with the winner earning the conference’s automatic bid to the College Football Playoff.
Why This Schedule Stands Out
This isn’t a soft slate by any measure. Nine of Ohio State’s 12 regular-season opponents either reached the CFP or played in a bowl game last season, and seven of them won nine or more games in 2025. The Buckeyes’ nine Big Ten opponents alone combined for a 51-30 conference record a year ago — a clear sign of just how competitive this year’s Big Ten race figures to be.
Two matchups stand out immediately as measuring-stick games: the trip to Indiana on Oct. 17, a rematch of last season’s heartbreaking Big Ten title game loss, and the home matchup with Oregon on Nov. 7, avenging nothing on paper but carrying plenty of weight given Oregon’s status as a fellow national title contender. And, of course, the season once again builds toward the Michigan game on Nov. 28 — a rivalry that remains the most important date on every Buckeye fan’s calendar regardless of what else is on the schedule.
What to Watch For as Fall Camp Approaches
With Sayin and Smith anchoring the offense and Day looking to keep Ohio State in the national title conversation, fall camp will be about far more than simply knocking off the rust. Expect position battles across the roster, an early look at how new coordinators integrate their systems, and plenty of storylines to track heading into the season opener against Ball State.
For fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the 2026 Buckeyes in person before the lights come on at Ohio Stadium, the Aug. 6-8 training camp practices remain the best and most affordable opportunity to do just that.
Final Thoughts
Between a loaded fall camp schedule and a 2026 slate that reads like a murderer’s row of ranked opponents, Buckeye Nation has plenty to circle on the calendar over the next several months. With roughly six weeks separating today from kickoff, the countdown to the season opener against Ball State is officially underway — and if Ohio State’s roster lives up to its preseason billing, this fall could be a memorable one in Columbus.
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