# 2026 Arizona Wildcats football team
The 2026 [Arizona Wildcats football](https://www.edgepedia.org/arizona-wildcats-football) team represents the [University of Arizona](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-arizona) in the 2026 [NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision](https://www.edgepedia.org/ncaa-division-i-football-bowl-subdivision) season, its third under head coach Brent Brennan and its third as a member of the Big 12 Conference. The Wildcats entered the season coming off a 9-4 campaign in 2025 that ended with a 24-19 loss to SMU in the Holiday Bowl, and they opened their 123rd season of Arizona football with a 35-7 home win over Northern Arizona on September 5, 2026.[1](https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2026/1/21/arizona-football-announces-2026-schedule) • [2](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/football/schedule) • [3](https://arizonasports.com/ncaa/arizona-wildcats/uofa-football/arizona-2026-schedule)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Brent Brennan, third season; signed a contract extension in February 2026 through at least the 2030 season[4](https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2026/2/6/general-brent-brennan-signs-contract-extension-through-2030) |
| Conference | Big 12; nine conference games plus three non-conference games on a 12-game schedule[1](https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2026/1/21/arizona-football-announces-2026-schedule) |
| Home stadium | Casino Del Sol Stadium in Tucson, hosting seven of the team's twelve regular-season games[1](https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2026/1/21/arizona-football-announces-2026-schedule) |
| Record through Oct. 10 | 5-1 overall (.833), 2-1 in Big 12 play, on a four-game winning streak[2](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/football/schedule) |
| Only loss | 17-28 at BYU on September 12[2](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/football/schedule) |
| Quarterback | Senior Noah Fifita, the nation's active career leader in touchdown passes, with 9,183 career passing yards[5](https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2026/8/31/football-wildcats-kick-off-2026-campaign-versus-northern-arizona) • [6](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/brent-brennan/6611) |
| Rivalry game | Home date against Arizona State on November 28, the 100th Territorial Cup meeting[2](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/football/schedule) |
## Coaching staff
Brennan returned nearly his entire coaching staff from the 2025 squad.[5](https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2026/8/31/football-wildcats-kick-off-2026-campaign-versus-northern-arizona) Seth Doege serves as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, and Danny Gonzales as defensive coordinator.[7](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/football/coaches) Bobby Wade holds the titles of assistant head coach, pass game coordinator, and wide receivers coach, and Joe Salave'a is associate head coach and defensive line coach.[7](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/football/coaches)
In February 2026, the university and Brennan agreed to a contract extension keeping him as head coach at least through the 2030 season. The extension followed a 2025 regular season in which the Wildcats won nine games for just the eighth time in program history, capped by a victory in the Territorial Cup.[4](https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2026/2/6/general-brent-brennan-signs-contract-extension-through-2030)
## Schedule and results
Arizona announced its 12-game schedule on January 21, 2026, in coordination with the [Big 12 Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/big-12-conference), with seven home games in Tucson and a bye week on the weekend of October 17, the midpoint of the season.[1](https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2026/1/21/arizona-football-announces-2026-schedule) Non-conference play consists of home games against Northern Arizona and Northern Illinois and a road trip to Washington State; the Big 12 season concludes with the conference championship game on December 4 at [AT&T Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/at-and-t-stadium) in [Arlington, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/arlington-texas).[1](https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2026/1/21/arizona-football-announces-2026-schedule)
Through the first six games, the Wildcats stood at 5-1 overall and 2-1 in conference play:[2](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/football/schedule)
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 5 | Northern Arizona (Tucson) | W, 35-7 |
| Sept. 12 | at BYU (Provo, Utah) | L, 17-28 |
| Sept. 19 | Northern Illinois (Tucson) | W, 42-17 |
| Sept. 26 | at Washington State (Pullman, Wash.) | W, 34-24 |
| Oct. 3 | Cincinnati (Tucson) | W, 34-7 |
| Oct. 10 | at West Virginia (Morgantown, W.V.) | W, 52-31 |
The [West Virginia](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-virginia) win came despite Arizona missing its top three receivers with injuries.[2](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/football/schedule) Remaining home games include Iowa State on October 24 ([Homecoming](https://www.edgepedia.org/homecoming)), TCU, Utah, and the Arizona State finale; the TCU game was later set for Friday, November 6, at 8:15 PM MST.[2](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/football/schedule)
## Preseason expectations
After going 4-8 in 2024, Brennan's first season, and 9-4 with a 6-3 conference record in 2025, Arizona entered 2026 with elevated expectations.[3](https://arizonasports.com/ncaa/arizona-wildcats/uofa-football/arizona-2026-schedule) • [8](https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2026/09/04/arizona-wildcats-football-2026-preview) A preseason poll of Big 12 beat writers, one from each of the conference's 16 schools, placed Arizona and Houston in a tie for third, narrowly ahead of fifth-place Utah.[9](https://www2.kusports.com/sports/college/big-12/2026/jul/13/see-where-ku-placed-in-preseason-poll-of-big-12-beat-writers/) Preseason projections generally placed the Wildcats between fifth and eighth in the conference.[8](https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2026/09/04/arizona-wildcats-football-2026-preview)
## Key players
The offense runs through senior quarterback [Noah Fifita](https://www.edgepedia.org/noah-fifita), who entered the season as the nation's active career leader in touchdown passes and with 9,183 career passing yards, the third-most in program history and the most among all active FBS quarterbacks.[5](https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2026/8/31/football-wildcats-kick-off-2026-campaign-versus-northern-arizona) • [6](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/brent-brennan/6611) In 2025 he became the first Arizona quarterback to earn first-team all-conference honors since 1975.[6](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/brent-brennan/6611) • [12](https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2024/12/5/football-tetairoa-mcmillan-earns-first-team-all-big-12)
The team runs an up-tempo spread offense and a multiple 3-3-5 defense, per the published depth chart, with Ismail Mahdi listed as the starting running back and a secondary anchored by cornerbacks Dwight Bootle II and Jay'Vion Cole.[11](https://www.ourlads.com/ncaa-football-depth-charts/depth-chart.aspx?id=89946&s=arizona)
## References
1. [Arizona Football Announces 2026 Schedule, University of Arizona Athletics](https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2026/1/21/arizona-football-announces-2026-schedule)
2. [2026 Football Schedule, University of Arizona Athletics](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/football/schedule)
3. [Arizona Wildcats' 2026 football schedule revealed, Arizona Sports](https://arizonasports.com/ncaa/arizona-wildcats/uofa-football/arizona-2026-schedule)
4. [Brent Brennan Signs Contract Extension through 2030, University of Arizona Athletics](https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2026/2/6/general-brent-brennan-signs-contract-extension-through-2030)
5. [Wildcats Kick Off 2026 Campaign Versus Northern Arizona, University of Arizona Athletics](https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2026/8/31/football-wildcats-kick-off-2026-campaign-versus-northern-arizona)
6. [Brent Brennan - Football Coach, University of Arizona Athletics](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/brent-brennan/6611)
7. [2026 Football Coaches, University of Arizona Athletics](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/football/coaches)
8. [Wildcats look to build on last year's success, Axios Phoenix](https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2026/09/04/arizona-wildcats-football-2026-preview)
9. [See where KU placed in preseason poll of Big 12 beat writers, KU Sports](https://www2.kusports.com/sports/college/big-12/2026/jul/13/see-where-ku-placed-in-preseason-poll-of-big-12-beat-writers/)
10. [Arizona receives votes in preseason AP Top 25 poll, Arizona Sports](https://arizonasports.com/ncaa/arizona-wildcats/uofa-football/arizona-ap-top-25-poll)
11. [Arizona Wildcats Depth Chart, Ourlads.com](https://www.ourlads.com/ncaa-football-depth-charts/depth-chart.aspx?id=89946&s=arizona)
12. [Tetairoa McMillan Earns First-Team All-Big 12 - University of Arizona Athletics](https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2024/12/5/football-tetairoa-mcmillan-earns-first-team-all-big-12)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › College, minor, and international American football › College football programs › 2026 season articles › FBS team season articles › Power Four conference teams*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license