OSU release - CORVALLIS, Ore. – The JaMarcus Shephard Era officially begins on Saturday, Sept. 5 when the Oregon State football team plays at Houston to open the 2026 season.  The Beavers will host six games at Reser Stadium, including San Diego State, Washington State, Texas State and Utah State as part of the new Pac-12 Conference.  "We can't wait to kick off the new era of Pac-12 football," said Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould. "Today's schedule release is a major milestone on our path to launch, and the creativity behind our 2026 format reflects the strategic vision for what this conference will become. With national coverage across CBS Sports, USA Network and The CW, the new Pac-12 will debut on a national stage from day one."  For information on season tickets, please call 541-737-2050 (ticket office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).  2026 Oregon State Football Schedule:  Sept. 5 – at Houston; Sept 12 – vs. Texas Tech; Sept. 19 – vs. Montana; Sept. 26 – at UTEP; Oct. 3 – at Colorado State; Oct. 10 – vs. San Diego State; Oct. 17 – vs. Washington State; Oct. 24 – BYE; Oct. 31 – at Fresno State; Nov. 7 – vs. Texas State; Nov. 14 – at Boise State; Nov. 21 – vs. Utah State; Nov. 28 – FLEX (road game); Dec. 4 – Pac-12 Championship Game (Friday); 2026 Pac-12 Schedule Overview:  A four-game non-conference slate to begin the season over Weeks 1-4 (Sept. 5-26).  A seven-game round-robin slate for league-play over an eight-week span, with one bye week each during that stretch from Weeks 5-12 (Oct. 3-Nov. 21).  A home-and-home flex matchup among the league's eight football members to conclude the regular season in Week 13 (Nov. 28), which will be considered a non-conference matchup for standings.  Home-and-Home Flex Matchup:  For 2026 and the league's home-and-home flex matchup to conclude the regular season in Week 13, the Pac-12 will retain the right to adjust matchups based on the best interests of the league, including College Football Playoff (CFP) considerations at that time. Projected matchups for the final week on Saturday, Nov. 28, not to be confirmed until six days prior at latest, include:  Boise State at Utah State; Texas State at Colorado State; San Diego State at Fresno State; Oregon State at Washington State.  2026 Pac-12 Football Championship Game Format:  In addition to its schedule release, the Pac-12 also announced its championship for the first season of the new league will be hosted at the home venue of the highest seed. Set to take place on Friday, Dec. 4, the new Pac-12's 2026 football title game will be featured on CBS and Paramount+ as part of the conference's new media partnerships with CBS Sports, USA Sports and CW Sports. Following its seven-game slate of conference-play, where each team will face every other team once, the Pac-12 title's matchup will be determined upon the conclusion of Week 12 (Nov. 21), two weeks ahead of the championship game.