It’s August, and that means the high school and college teams in the area are gearing up for action, along with their marching bands. The Nashville Kats have one more game this year. The others, including the Titans, who have yet to play, are preparing for their fall campaigns. Here’s a look at our local teams.
First, the Arena Football One league’s leading team, the Nashville Kats are out for revenge. This amazing team has suffered only one loss this spring and summer season, and that was by three points on the road. They have clawed their way to the top, and are hosting the AF1 Arena Crown, the championship game, this weekend in Clarksville on their home turf in the F&M Bank Arena against the defending league champion Albany Firebirds, Saturday, August 8, 2026, at 3:00 PM CDT. In the semifinal matchups, Albany defeated the Minnesota Monsters 69-56, while Nashville hosted a phenomenal 92-76 shootout victory against the Michigan Arsenal. While the Kats have never won a league championship, they have finished as the league runner-up in three separate title games, in 2000, 2001, and last year, losing a close 60–57 battle to the Albany Firebirds, and this time they are primed and ready to win it all. Tickets range from $29 to $88 (for Standing Room Only in the West Endzone on the Floor; for real hard-core fans).
High Schools: Metro Nashville high school football teams are currently holding preseason scrimmages and jamborees (August 13) ahead of the official TSSAA regular season kickoff August 17, when the first games can be played, and August 20-21 is officially Week 1 of the season.
Nashville Colleges / Universities: Tennessee State University kicks off their Ohio Valley Conference campaign (that’s right; no more Big South / OVC) with four non-conference matchups, and four consecutive road trips, on Saturday, August 29 at 7:30 PM at FirstBank Stadium on the Vanderbilt University Campus in Nashville in the John Merritt Classic against Jackson State University. The game was moved from Nissan Stadium due to Titans NFL scheduling (more about that later). The Tigers will then hit the road to Athens, GA to face the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, September 12 at 2:00 PM CT / 3:00 PM ET, without the Aristocrat of Bands… long story. The Tigers play another away game against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs on Saturday, September 12, at 6:30 PM; this Legacy Series matchup takes place at Louis Crews Stadium in Huntsville, Alabama. The Tigers then play the Florida A&M Rattlers on Saturday, September 19, at 6:00 PM CT (7:00 PM ET) at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida. After a week off, the Tigers travel to face the OVC Western Illinois Leathernecks on Saturday, October 3, at 3:00 PM CDT at Hanson Field in Macomb, Illinois, then finally have a home game in Nissan Stadium against UT Martin at 2:30 PM Saturday, October 10. The following week, the Homecoming game will be against Morgan State University, the HBCU from Baltimore, MD, at 5:30 PM on Saturday, October 17. Five more OVC matchups round out the schedule, three home and two away games. Our other Nashville college team Vanderbilt’s home schedule includes home SEC matchups against Ole Miss, Arkansas, Alabama and Tennessee.
NFL: The Tennessee Titans 2026 preseason schedule features three games, first at the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, August 13, 8:00 PM CDT, locally on WKRN Channel 2. They are at home for two more, against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, August 23, 7:00 PM, locally on WZTV Channel 17; and against the Chicago Bears on August 29 at 5:00 PM, also on WKRN Channel 2. The 2026 NFL Hall of Fame Game featuring the Arizona Cardinals facing the Carolina Panthers to kick off the NFL preseason was scheduled for Thursday, August 6, at 7:00 PM CDT on NBC. The Titans open the 2026 regular season at home against the New York Jets on Sunday, September 13, at Nissan Stadium at Noon on CBS.
