NEW ORLEANS — Following a third-straight bowl berth and second-straight bowl win, Arkansas State will commence its 2026 season on Saturday, Sept. 5, when it travels to rival Memphis at 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
Memphis has won five-straight rivalry matchups to extend its lead in the all-time series to 33-24-5. The Tigers are 24-11-4 at home in the series.
Arkansas State’s non-conference slate also includes home dates with West Georgia (Sept. 12) and Kennesaw State (Sept. 26), bookending a trip to TCU (Sept.19). Alongside annual meetings with their West Division counterparts, the Red Wolves will host Georgia State (Oct. 24) and visit Coastal Carolina (Nov. 14) from the Sun Belt East Division.
The Red Wolves were picked to finish third in the Sun Belt West Division in last month’s
2026 Sun Belt Conference Football Preseason Coaches Poll.
Sixth-year head coach Butch Jones will lead a roster that
returns three All-Sun Belt selections from 2025 and
had seven players named to the 2026 Preseason All-Sun Belt Teams, including a conference-high seven First Team picks.
Arkansas State went 7-6 in 2025, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 42 seconds to play in a 30-29 victory over App State in the regular-season finale to clinch bowl eligibility. The Red Wolves were part of the Sun Belt’s 10-team Bowl Season contingent that paced the non-autonomy conferences for the fourth-straight year, earning a 34-28 win over Missouri State in the Xbox Bowl as 1-of-4 Sun Belt bowl champions.
In 25 seasons in the Sun Belt, the Red Wolves are 152-157-0, including reaching a bowl game in 12 of the past 15 campaigns.
To listen to head coach Butch Jones, redshirt junior wide receiver Chauncy Cobb and junior defensive back Brandon Barnes’s remarks from the 2026 Sun Belt Football Media Days,
visit the Sun Belt Conference YouTube page.
2026 SCHEDULE
| 9/5 |
at Memphis |
| 9/12 |
West Georgia |
| 9/19 |
at TCU |
| 9/26 |
Kennesaw State |
| 10/3 |
at Louisiana* |
| 10/8 |
South Alabama* |
| 10/17 |
at Southern Miss* |
| 10/24 |
Georgia State* |
| 11/7 |
ULM* |
| 11/14 |
at Coastal Carolina* |
| 11/21 |
at Louisiana Tech* |
| 11/28 |
Troy* |
* Sun Belt Conference Game
2025 ALL-SUN BELT RETURNERS
First Team
RS – Chauncy Cobb, Arkansas State (RS Jr., RS – Clewiston, Fla.)
Third Team
AP – Chauncy Cobb, Arkansas State (RS Jr., AP – Clewiston, Fla.)
Honorable Mention
DB – AG McGhee, Arkansas State (RS Sr., DB – Chipley, Fla.)
2026 PRESEASON ALL-SUN BELT SELECTIONS
First Team
RB – Kenyon Clay, Arkansas State (RS Sr., RB – Union, Miss.)
OL – Tristian Smith, Arkansas State (RS Sr., OL – Crossett, Ark.)
WR – Chauncy Cobb, Arkansas State (RS Jr., WR – Clewiston, Fla.)
DB – AG McGhee, Arkansas State (RS Sr., DB – Chipley, Fla.)
K – Clune Van Andel, Arkansas State (Sr., K – Grand Rapids, Mich.)
RS – Chauncy Cobb, Arkansas State (RS Jr., RS – Clewiston, Fla.)
AP – Chauncy Cobb, Arkansas State (RS Jr., AP – Clewiston, Fla.)