High school football: 2026 start dates for all 50 states

Kickoff in Hawaii is less than two months away.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Aaron Williams
By
Jun 4, 2026, 11:30am
The 2026 high school football season begins in less than two months. Teams from Hawaii will be the first to take the field in early August and all but around a dozen states will have games in the books by the end of the month.

Preseason coverage begins July 13 with the release of the MaxPreps Top 25. Position-by-position breakdowns, All-Americans and best teams and players in every state will follow throughout the month and into August. 

Read on to find out when the season begins in your state.
Aug. 3
Hawaii

Aug. 13
Alaska, Nevada

Aug. 17
Kentucky, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Tennessee

Aug. 19
Arizona

Aug. 20
Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, North Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin

Aug. 21
California, Florida, Georgia (Exemption for Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic on Aug. 12), Idaho, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota

Aug. 22
District of Columbia
 
Aug. 24
Arkansas

Aug. 25
West Virginia

Aug. 27
Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas

Aug. 28
Missouri, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wyoming

Sept. 2
Kansas

Sept. 3
Delaware, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont

Sept. 4
Maine, Maryland, Washington

Sept. 10
Massachusetts

Sept. 11
Connecticut