Too much football? Thursday begins a streak of 2 months with at least one college football or NFL game every day

Football fans in 2026 are in for an extended season, with at least one top-level game every day from Thursday through November 30. The 61-day streak kicks off at 8 p.m. ET when Western Kentucky takes on New Mexico State. Streaks of this length are not uncommon this time of year due to television deals between conferences and broadcasters.

Conference USA's midweek games begin early in the season, with Southern Miss versus Troy on October 6 and two games on October 7. The Mid-American Conference (MAC) starts its schedule on Tuesday, November 3, ensuring a game on every weekday from that date through the first full week of October.

This year, the streak is particularly long due to the NFL's growing mid-week presence. In recent years, the consecutive game run ended the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. However, the NFL has expanded its mid-week schedule this year, with a game airing on November 25 featuring the Green Bay Packers against the Los Angeles Rams. The NFL is extending its dominance of the holiday week to include a game on Black Friday (November 27) and three games on Christmas Day, in addition to its traditional late-season games on Saturdays.

Overall, there will be six NFL games in 2026 during the Thanksgiving week, compared to five in recent years. For football enthusiasts, there's a game to watch every night for the next two months, making it clear that there's never enough football to satisfy the appetite of fans.