The UNLV Rebels will open their 2026 football season on Saturday when they host the Memphis Tigers at Allegiant Stadium.
The Week 0 matchup will give both teams an immediate test, with UNLV and Memphis entering the year with aspirations of competing for a conference championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Here’s how Las Vegas-area fans can watch and listen to the game.
UNLV vs Memphis
Records:
UNLV 0-0, 0-0 (MW), Memphis 0-0, 0-0 (AAC)
When:
Saturday
Time:
7 p.m. PT
Where:
Allegiant Stadium
TV:
Fox, KVVU-TV (Channel 5) Las Vegas
Radio:
ESPN 1100 AM & 100.9 FM
Tickets:
Available
What’s at stake for UNLV?
A statement win: The Rebels will open their season against one of the strongest Group of Six opponents they will face this season, providing an immediate test in Year 2 of the Dan Mullen era.
With the matchup receiving national attention as a primetime game on Fox, UNLV will also have an early opportunity to put its program in the national spotlight.
CFP implications: Since the College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams in 2024, UNLV has positioned itself as a contender to earn the Group of Six’s automatic playoff berth.
The Rebels enter 2026 once again among the teams expected to compete for that spot, but a loss to Memphis would immediately put a dent in their playoff résumé and put the Rebels in a hole difficult to escape.
Conference championship hopes: The Rebels are coming off three consecutive runner-up finishes in the Mountain West championship game.
Mullen has made his championship aspirations clear, and a win over Memphis would give the Rebels a strong start before beginning a stretch of three consecutive games away from home.
What’s at stake for Memphis?
A new Memphis era begins: Following the departure of previous Tigers coach Ryan Silverfield, Memphis has a new man at the helm in Charles Huff, who arrives after spending the previous two seasons at Southern Miss.
Huff will have an opportunity to make an immediate impression on a fan base accustomed to regular-season success.
CFP résumé: Like the Rebels, Memphis has its own playoff aspirations and is viewed as one of the AAC programs capable of competing for a conference championship while pushing for a spot in the national postseason picture.
A loss to UNLV, however, which already ranks ahead of Memphis in total votes in the first AP poll, could significantly weaken the Tigers’ playoff chances before they even play their first home game.
