Lobos, Chippewas Open 2026 Season Saturday Night on FS1

Central Michigan and New Mexico will kick off their 2026 football campaigns on Saturday night, with the Lobos hosting the Chippewas in what will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The game airs on Fox Corporation’s Fox Corporation (FOXA) cable network FS1, with a 10:00 PM ET start, and is available via live stream on Fubo.

New Mexico enters the season riding momentum from its best year in more than four decades. The Lobos went 9-4 in 2025, capping the season with an overtime defeat against Minnesota in the Rate Bowl, and were projected to contend with UNLV for the top spot in the restructured Mountain West Conference.

However, those hopes took a blow this week. Starting quarterback Jack Layne will miss the entire season after undergoing elbow surgery. Head coach staff are expected to rotate multiple quarterbacks on Saturday, with senior James Laubstein, Oregon transfer Luke Moga, and Toa Fa’avae all in the mix. Defensively, the Lobos are anchored by linebacker Jaxton Eck.

Central Michigan, meanwhile, is no stranger to a quarterback carousel after cycling through three signal-callers last season. Two of those return in 2026 — Angel Flores and Jadyn Glasser, the latter back from an injury that cost him much of 2025 — among a group of six quarterbacks on the roster. Brock Townsend is expected to take on a lead role in the running game. The Chippewas finished 7-6 in 2025, ending the year with a lopsided GameAbove Sports Bowl loss to Northwestern, and were picked fifth in the preseason Mid-American Conference poll.

FS1 carries the broadcast as part of Fox’s college football slate. Fox shares traded at $65.42 in Monday’s session, down 3.44% from the prior close of $67.75, giving the company a market capitalization of roughly $27.7 billion. The company operates through Cable Network Programming and Television segments, with sports content a core part of its cable distribution.

What to watch

• Which quarterbacks emerge for both rosters, and whether either program settles on a starter early in the season
• How New Mexico’s quarterback situation develops following Jack Layne’s season-ending surgery
• Upcoming MAC and Mountain West standings updates as both teams begin conference play
• Further college football scheduling on FS1 as the season progresses

Source: original release