Cait Mckinzie
Colorado State University football defensive back Lemondre Joe (7) holds back University of Wyoming wide receiver Jackson Holman (9) during a play Oct. 25, 2025. Joe finished out the game with five total tackles.
After a disappointing ending to Colorado State football’s Mountain West campaign, the Rams will reset and have their chance at a fresh start in the Pac-12 conference.
Head coach Jim Mora is preparing for his first season at the helm after coming in from UConn. CSU brought in almost 40 transfers and looks to compete in the revamped eight-team conference.
Sept. 5 vs. Wyoming
Despite the new conference, the season kicks off with the historic Border War matchup against Wyoming. The Rams lead the all-time series with a record of 59-52-5, but most recently, CSU faced a brutal 28-0 defeat last season. Jay Sawvel is set to enter his third season as head coach of the Cowboys, with a 7-17 record thus far, and brings over 20 new transfers into the matchup. With a new conference and coach and an iconic rivalry home game to begin the season, the buzz in Canvas Stadium is expected to be electric.
Sept. 12 vs. Southern Utah
Also changing conferences — from WAC to Big Sky — Southern Utah comes to Canvas Stadium for a hard test. Its highly productive offense averaged 33.75 points per game throughout the 2025 season, leading the Thunderbirds to a six-game win streak to end the year. CSU is set for a winnable second game, meaning the Rams could start off the 2026 season with two home wins — already resetting the woes that took over last year.
Sept. 19 vs. BYU
BYU is scheduled to be the Rams’ third-straight home game opponent to start the season and will also likely be their most difficult face off of the season. The Cougars ended the 2025 season ranked 11th in the NCAA and are predicted to have another strong season. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier will return for his junior season after notching 15 touchdowns and 3,033 passing yards last year. This will be a true test for Mora and the Rams, with a potential top-10 team coming to town.
Sept. 26 at UTSA
CSU will hit the road for the first time this season with revenge in mind. The 2025 matchup against UTSA ended with a failed two-point attempt by the Rams and started chaos for CSU, as it was the last time former quarterback Brayden-Fowler Nicolosi would see action in green and gold. The Roadrunners ended last season with a 57-20 victory in the Servpro First Responder Bowl.
Oct. 3 vs. Oregon State
Starting in October, for the first time in CSU history, Pac-12 play begins against Oregon State. Like the Rams, the Beavers were also only able to tally two wins last season and are welcoming a new head coach: JaMarcus Shephard. Along with it being the first official conference game, the Rams have more to fight for, as it will also be their annual Homecoming game. If they can pull out a win, CSU will head into the bye week 1-0 in conference play.
Oct. 17 at Texas State
Out of the bye, the Rams will play Texas State for the first time in program history. The Bobcats finished last season 7-6, with a bowl win against Rice. Their offensive talent is led by quarterback Brad Jackson, who totaled 3,224 passing yards and 21 touchdowns throughout the 2025 season.
Oct. 24 vs. San Diego State
San Diego State, a former MW opponent-turned Pac-12 foe, will come to Canvas hoping to repeat its most recent 45-24 win while the Rams work toward their path to redemption. The Aztecs wrapped up their 2025 campaign 9-4 with a loss in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl, and they just welcomed a strong recruiting class full of depth to their already successful roster.
Oct. 31 at Utah State
Utah State followed the pack and became one of several MW schools to join the Pac-12. After the Rams skipped USU on the schedule last season, they will make the trip to Logan, Utah. The Aggies enter the 2026 season with many question marks in the post-Bryson Barnes era. What USU will look like under coach Bronco Mendenhall’s second season is a mystery, but CSU is also questionable in the same areas, leaving the chance for an exciting game.
Nov. 7 vs. Boise State
One game that is annually circled as one of the harder ones on the Rams’ schedule will continue into the Pac-12, as Boise State is coming off another successful season, ending with a 9-5 record. The Broncos are expected to be one of the better teams in the conference once again, meaning this could be a good test as to what the late-season has in store for the Rams.
Nov. 14 at Washington State
Washington State gave CSU a taste of Pac-12 football last year, defeating the Rams 20-3. As the thick of conference play, and perhaps the hardest part of their schedule, comes to a head, CSU will head to Pullman, Washington. The Cougars won the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl game against USU and finished the season 7-6.
Nov. 21 at Fresno State
Despite being one of two teams CSU beat last season, the Bulldogs had a successful 2025 campaign, as they finished with a 9-4 record. FSU head coach Matt Entz is going into this coming season with a similar core squad. The Rams owned the game last year, winning 49-21. This is CSU’s last matchup before the flex game, building potential for this game to decide who plays in the Pac-12 tournament.
Flex week Nov. 28
The Pac-12 will be debuting a new structure to college football scheduling by introducing a flex week. Based on how teams fare in the conference, the matchmaking will later be decided. This move by the conference not only allows for the season to play out before deciding a matchup, but it also allows top teams in the conference to win another higher-caliber game. This could also influence a Pac-12 team’s prospects in making the College Football Playoff. CSU’s flex game is planned to be at home, and it will be a rematch of one of the conference games. The Pac-12 has committed to this structure for just one year as a trial.
Reach Caleb Morrow at sports@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegianSpts.
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