Return trips from the U.S. via automobile rose 7.6 per cent compared to June 2025, hitting 1.7 million in June 2026. A little more than 66 per cent of those were same-day trips.

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Patiently waiting for the college football season to begin? Ohio State football's first game of the 2026 season is little more than two weeks away.

Ohio State played its first game in 2025, a win over Texas on Aug. 30, but this year, the Buckeyes are not playing during college football's opening weekend. There are eight games on Aug. 29, including a matchup between North Carolina and TCU.

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As part of the home-and-home series, Ohio State will now travel to play Texas at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Sept. 12. However, that's not OSU's first game.

Find out when the Buckeyes begin their 2026 football slate below.

When is the first Ohio State football game in 2026?

The first Buckeyes game is on Sept. 5, at home against the Ball State Cardinals, a MAC opponent from Muncie, Indiana.

Ohio State and Ball State have never played against each other in football. The most recent MAC opponent the Buckeyes faced was Western Michigan on Sept. 7, 2024; Ohio State won 56-0.

Last season, Ball State finished 4-8 with a 3-5 record in the MAC. The program's last win against a Big Ten opponent was on Sept. 15, 2012, against Indiana, when the Cardinals won on the road in Bloomington by a score of 41-39.

Ohio State is currently a 50.5-point favorite over Ball State, according to BetMGM as of Aug. 20.

How to watch Ohio State vs. Ball State football, TV, streaming

• Date: Sept. 5
• Time: 12:30 p.m.
• TV: Big Ten Network
• Streaming: Fox One, Fubo

The first game of Ohio State's regular season will be available to watch on Big Ten Network at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 5. Streaming options include Fox One, Fox's direct-to-consumer streaming service, or TV services like Fubo.

Ohio State football schedule 2026

• A majority of times to be determined at a later date.
• Sept. 5 vs. Ball State, 12:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
• Sept. 12 at Texas, 7:30 p.m., ABC
• Sept. 19 vs. Kent State, 12 p.m., FOX
• Sept. 26 vs. Illinois
• Oct. 3 at Iowa
• Oct. 10 vs. Maryland
• Oct. 17 at Indiana
• Oct. 31 at USC
• Nov. 7 vs. Oregon
• Nov. 14 vs. Northwestern
• Nov. 21 at Nebraska
• Nov. 28 vs. Michigan, Noon, FOX

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: When does Ohio State football play its first game? Mark your calendar

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