Broncbusters Announce Updated 2026 Football Schedule

Garden City announced its updated 2026 football schedule, featuring multiple nationally-recognized programs, including the 2025 NJCAA National Champion and National Runner-Up.

The Aug. 29 home opener against Independence and the Oct. 24 matchup against Butler will now kick off at 7 p.m., while the Nov. 7 regular-season finale against Highland has been moved to a 1 p.m. start.

The 2026 slate features a major early-season challenge Sept. 12 when the Broncbusters travel to Hutchinson to face the reigning NJCAA National Runner-Up. The Blue Dragons finished 11-2 in 2025, advanced to the NJCAA National Championship Game, and spent the majority of the season ranked inside the top five nationally.

Another marquee matchup comes Oct. 3 at Iowa Western. The Reivers captured the 2025 NJCAA National Championship after finishing 13-0 and fielding one of the nation’s top defensive units, allowing less than 14 points per game during their title run.

Garden City opens the season Aug. 22 on the road against Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. Snow finished 6-5 in 2025 after posting a 9-2 campaign in 2024.

The Broncbusters return home Aug. 29 against Independence before opening conference road play Sept. 5 at Dodge City.

Garden City hosts Ellsworth on Sept. 19 before back-to-back road contests at Coffeyville and Iowa Western.

The Oct. 10 home matchup against Iowa Central also presents a significant challenge. The Tritons finished 8-4 in 2025, earned a national ranking during the season, and averaged more than 445 yards of offense per game. They did make a coaching change this season as Jesse Montalto was named offensive coordinator at Louisiana Monroe.

Garden City closes the regular season with consecutive home games against Butler and Highland. Butler remained in the national rankings late into the 2025 season and continued to contend for postseason positioning throughout conference play.