The Holiday Is Empty
Thanksgiving has meant football for as long as most fans can remember. From the first Yale-Princeton showdown in 1876 to the Memphis-Navy primetime showdown on ESPN in 2025, college football has never truly abandoned the holiday. Until now.
As of late February 2026, there is not a single FBS college football game scheduled for Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26. That makes 2026 the first year without a Turkey Day FBS contest since 1997. And while the NFL will carry on as usual with its Lions-Cowboys-primetime tripleheader, college football's absence from the table would mark a real and historic void.
The question is not whether someone should step up. The question is who — and what game would actually be worth watching.
How Did We Get Here?
For years, Thanksgiving college football was anchored by the SEC's Egg Bowl — Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State — which held a regular Thursday night slot on ESPN. When the SEC moved that rivalry to Black Friday, it opened the door for the American Athletic Conference to swoop in. The American ran a two-year experiment: Memphis hosted Tulane in 2024, then Memphis hosted Navy in 2025, both on ESPN in primetime. Both games delivered solid ratings and genuine stakes.
But the American has stepped back for 2026. No Thanksgiving game is on their schedule. And now, four conferences — Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West, and the Sun Belt — have yet to finalize their 2026 football schedules. One of them could save the holiday.
Why These Four Conferences?
The Power Four conferences have locked in their schedules with every rivalry week game accounted for. The American has confirmed its slate. That leaves C-USA, MAC, Mountain West, and Sun Belt as the only leagues with scheduling flexibility to place a game on November 26.
These are not throwaway conferences. The MAC invented MACtion — weeknight college football that became appointment viewing. The Sun Belt has been the most competitive Group of Five conference for years, regularly sending teams to the CFP discussion. The Mountain West has Boise State, a perennial national brand. And C-USA, while rebuilding, has legitimate rivalries and TV-ready games on its roster. If the holiday gets saved, it is coming from one of these four.
Conference-by-Conference Breakdown
Mid-American Conference
The MAC is the most natural fit. The conference has a long tradition of Thanksgiving week football, typically playing its final regular season week leading up to the MAC Championship at Ford Field in Detroit. Moving one late-season rivalry game to Thursday would be minimal disruption with maximum cultural impact.
The crown jewel: Western Michigan vs. Central Michigan, the Battle of the Cannon. These two teams share one of the MAC's most heated intrastate rivalries. WMU came off a stellar 2025 season and CMU has been trending up. A natural fit on ESPN2 or ESPNU.
A close second: Toledo vs. Bowling Green, the Battle of I-75. Toledo has been routinely in the MAC Championship conversation and Bowling Green added a former 4-star Oregon quarterback this offseason. High stakes, minimal travel, and exactly the kind of game that is easy to put on while passing the mashed potatoes.
Dark horse: Ohio vs. Miami (OH), the Battle of the Bricks. Geographic convenience and strong rivalry heat. Do not sleep on this one.
Sun Belt Conference
The obvious candidate: Appalachian State vs. Georgia Southern. They call it Deeper Than Hate, and it has earned that name. These programs battled for FCS national championships together, made the jump to FBS together, and have met almost every season since 1993. The history is deep and the hatred is real. TV value: high. Rivalry heat: elite. This is the Sun Belt's best shot.
Also in the conversation: Louisiana vs. Troy. Louisiana has been a model mid-major program for a decade. Troy brings SEC-country brand recognition across Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana.
Another option: Coastal Carolina vs. Georgia State. The Chanticleers built real brand equity since their undefeated 2020 season. Not the most electric rivalry, but both programs are trending in the right direction.
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West's biggest asset here is Boise State. The Broncos remain the most nationally recognized brand in Group of Five football, and a Thanksgiving appearance would draw eyeballs nationwide — not just in Idaho.
Best matchup: Boise State vs. Colorado State. Both are Mountain West contenders. The game has geographic logic and Boise's blue turf gives any television broadcast an instant visual identity that stands out from every other game on the schedule.
Also worth noting: UNLV vs. Fresno State. UNLV has been ascending rapidly riding Las Vegas energy and strong recruiting. A Thanksgiving game at Allegiant Stadium would be visually spectacular and logistically sound.
Conference USA
The most compelling potential matchup: Liberty vs. Jacksonville State. Liberty has rapidly built a national profile under head coach Jamey Chadwell. Jacksonville State is a former FCS powerhouse still finding its FBS footing. Liberty's TV pull could carry the broadcast.
More established: Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana Tech, the Battle of the Telephone Booth. A genuine rivalry with history and stakes. Both programs have had strong recent runs. This is C-USA's best bet for compelling Thanksgiving television.
Top 5 Thanksgiving Games, Ranked
1. Appalachian State vs. Georgia Southern (Sun Belt) — Deeper Than Hate is one of college football's most genuine long-running feuds. National TV appeal, passionate fanbases, real stakes. Put it on ESPN at 7:30 and watch it pop.
2. Western Michigan vs. Central Michigan (MAC) — The Battle of the Cannon in a Thanksgiving slot is almost poetic. Two Michigan programs, one intrastate rivalry, and the MACtion brand baked right in.
3. Boise State vs. Colorado State (Mountain West) — Boise State on national TV is always worth watching. The blue turf, the Bronco brand, and a rising Colorado State team make this visually compelling and athletically interesting.
4. Toledo vs. Bowling Green (MAC) — The Battle of I-75 has proximity, stakes, and history. Toledo is consistently elite in the MAC. If Bowling Green's new quarterback delivers, this could be must-watch television.
5. Louisiana vs. Troy (Sun Belt) — Louisiana football has been appointment viewing in the Bayou for years. Troy brings SEC-country appeal. Put this at noon and you have a strong first course to the NFL tripleheader.
Final Prediction: Who Fills the Slot?
The most likely scenario is the MAC and the game is Western Michigan vs. Central Michigan.
The MAC has the institutional infrastructure, the ESPN relationship, and the cultural identity around weeknight and holiday football already baked in. Moving one rivalry game to Thursday is a small logistical ask with a massive narrative payoff. The American Conference proved that a Group of Five league can own Thanksgiving on ESPN. The MAC has been watching. They just need to make the call.
The Sun Belt's App State vs. Georgia Southern would be the more electric game but requires more schedule disruption. The Mountain West's Boise matchup is the TV dream but Mountain time complicates national primetime placement.
The Bottom Line
College football has a Thanksgiving problem in 2026 and it is entirely self-inflicted. The holiday is open. The slot is available. The ESPN inventory is sitting empty. All it takes is one conference commissioner to pick up the phone.
For the first time since 1997, the turkey might be the only thing on the table Thursday. That is not tradition — that is a missed opportunity. And whoever fills the slot first owns the holiday for years to come.
The clock is ticking. Somebody make the call.
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