We are entering the second month of the 2026 calendar year. That means we are also inching closer to the first steps toward a new season of college football. Hey, Spring camp is only about six weeks away in some places.
The 2025 season was obviously very disappointing for Clemson. The Tigers were expecting to finish much better than 7-6. This season is not going to be an easy turnaround, though.
Dabo Swinney has hired a new offensive coordinator and made other new staff changes due to coaches moving on to new chapters. Along with that, Clemson had to replace some high-level talent and add depth, especially defensively.
All of this combined puts the Tigers in an unfamiliar position. They are unlikely to be ranked in the preseason and are double-digit underdogs for their week one matchup. It is going to be an uphill battle for Clemson to earn its respect back, but Swinney tends to do well in this position.
Clemson 2026 Schedule
Non-Conference Games
The Tigers will be one of five ACC teams that will not be playing a nine-game conference schedule just yet. They will play four non-conference opponents in 2026. For the third year in a row, Clemson will both start and end the season against SEC foes. Those games will be against the same programs the Tigers played against last season.
Week one, Clemson will play LSU, this time in Baton Rouge. This will be an interesting matchup with Lane Kiffin taking over the reins for Louisiana State. Kiffin has assembled a top-three transfer portal and high school recruiting class, according to 247 Sports. His team will likely be a preseason top-five team and a favorite to make the national championship game. It will be a tough test for Clemson to open the 2026 season.
To close the season, the Tigers will meet their heated rival, South Carolina, once again. This year’s matchup will be back in Memorial Stadium. However, the home team has not won a game in this series since 2018. Clemson will look to change that fate and win two straight against the Gamecocks.
The other two non-conference games on the Tigers’ schedule will feature one group of six and one FCS opponent as usual. Week two, Swinney’s squad will take on Georgia Southern out of the Sun Belt at home. The Eagles only won two road games in 2025, but were able to win two straight games to close out their season. In week seven, Clemson will face the FCS program Charleston Southern. The Buccaneers lost two straight games against FBS opponents to start last season.
Home Conference Slate
If the Tigers thought their 2025 conference schedule was tough, they’re in for a bit of a gauntlet in 2026. It starts with a week two meeting with North Carolina. Bill Belichick will be in his second year leading the UNC program. There is expected to be some improvement from the four wins last season. The Tar Heels didn’t make as many splashy moves in the transfer portal this offseason, but they did well in their high school recruiting. Belichick looks to be spending some years in Chapel Hill, and attempting to find a core group for his program.
Two weeks later, the National champion runner-ups will be making a trip to Memorial Stadium. Miami is coming off its best season in nearly two decades. The Hurricanes feel as if Mario Cristobal has finally gotten them over the hump. Now, they just need the hardware to prove it. They made a lofty move by acquiring former Duke quarterback Darian Mensah and his top weapon Cooper Barkate. The duo has given the Tigers problems on their home field already.
A few weeks later, Clemson will face Virginia Tech to close out a three-game home stretch. The Hokies have high expectations this season, after hiring James Franklin shortly after he was let go from Penn State. Franklin cleaned up well on the recruiting trail in a short amount of time. He built the sixth-ranked transfer class and 27th-ranked high school recruiting class for 2026.
In their last home conference game, the Tigers will look to get some revenge on Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets got a victory over Clemson last season with a last-second field goal. The Tigers will want to get that win back.
Conference Road Trips
Looking at the conference road trips for Clemson, the first one will be across the country. The Tigers will play the University of California in their second conference game of 2026. This will be Clemson’s first trip to Berkeley, and its first ACC game against the Bears since they joined the conference.
After three straight home games, the Tigers will then play two straight road games. The first will be against Florida State in Tallahassee. Clemson has won the last two matchups against the Seminoles. This includes the last game played in Doak Campbell Stadium.
The Tigers will then go up north to face Syracuse. Clemson played one of its worst games of 2025 against the Orange at home. The Tigers will look to improve on that performance in the dome in week ten.
Clemson’s last road test and conference game of the season will be in Durham against Duke. The Blue Devils have had the Tigers’ number the last two times these programs met. Duke won’t have the same weapons they had in the last couple of meetings, but it has every right to feel confident in this matchup at home.
The Tigers are going to have to fight to get back to the top of the college football world. The 2025 season was a disappointment, but they have a chance to exceed expectations for the 2026 season.
Main Image: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images