{"id":1036771,"date":"2026-09-01T11:09:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T11:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1036771\/"},"modified":"2026-09-01T11:09:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T11:09:17","slug":"september-sports-watch-guide-nfl-kickoff-kiffin-vs-ole-miss-wnba-and-mlb-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1036771\/","title":{"rendered":"September sports watch guide: NFL kickoff, Kiffin vs. Ole Miss, WNBA and MLB playoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cSummer has come and passed<\/a>.\u201d That\u2019s a bummer for just about everyone, save for pumpkin spice lobbyists and Richard Gere<\/a>. Fear not, though \u2014 we\u2019re about to hit the coolest stretch of the sports calendar.<\/p>\n

September is full of worthwhile watches. NFL and college football officially kick off. Men\u2019s and women\u2019s soccer leagues ramp up. MLB and the WNBA reach their respective playoffs. There\u2019s U.S. Open tennis and Presidents Cup golf; the chill of an NHL puck drop and the heat of the Spanish Grand Prix. \u201cChad Powers\u201d is back under center, lest we forget.<\/p>\n

This is The Athletic\u2019s comprehensive guide to sports in September. For the sake of time and space, we weren\u2019t able to cover everything\u00a0for the month to come. But we did our best to properly celebrate such a vast slate. All times are ET, and all channel listings are for U.S. viewers.<\/p>\n

You can watch live sports on Fubo (Stream Free Now<\/a>).<\/p>\n

September 2026 sports schedule\u2018Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 1 on Netflix<\/p>\n

This latest installment of the \u201cUntold\u201d documentary series centers on Rachael Gunn, the Australian breakdancer who competed in her newly recognized Olympic sport. Memes and misnomers ensued.<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s volleyball Big Ten\/SEC Challenge<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 1-6 on B1G+, Big Ten Network, ESPN2, Fox, FS1, SECN+, SEC Network<\/p>\n

All 18 Big Ten and 16 SEC programs are in this inaugural interconference clash. The finale is a Fox doubleheader at Wrigley Field<\/a>, with Kentucky facing Penn State and Nebraska playing Missouri.<\/p>\n

\u2018Chad Powers\u2019 Season 2 premiere<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 3 on Hulu<\/p>\n

Glen Powell<\/a> is the titular catfish quarterback of the South Georgia Catfish. Eli Manning, producer and founder of the original bit<\/a>, had a cameo in the first season. All six episodes drop simultaneously.<\/p>\n

\u2018On Campus: Game of the Week\u2019 series premiere<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 4 on Netflix<\/p>\n

It\u2019s Netflix\u2019s spin on the \u201cCollege GameDay\u201d concept, with two students leading the camera across campus sites and tailgate shenanigans each week. Thankfully, there\u2019s no Pat McAfee in this one.<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s Super League opener<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 4, 2 p.m. on Paramount+<\/p>\n

The season starts with the London City Lionesses hosting Manchester United. The league has expanded to 14 clubs after the promotion of Birmingham City, Charlton Athletic and Crystal Palace. Three-time WSL Golden Boot winner Khadija Shaw suits up for defending champion Manchester City, which welcomes Birmingham on Sept. 6.<\/p>\n

FIBA Women\u2019s Basketball World Cup 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 4-13 on TNT, truTV and HBO Max<\/p>\n

The 20th FIBA Women\u2019s World Cup is commemorated in Berlin. Team USA is stacked with stars like Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. The U.S. is going for a fifth straight championship; it starts group play with China, Czechia and Italy.<\/p>\n

Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame (Shamrock Series)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 6, 7:30 p.m. on NBC<\/p>\n

Heisman Trophy hype machine CJ Carr<\/a> leads the No. 4 Fighting Irish into historic Lambeau Field. The Badgers counter with fleet quarterback Colton Joseph, who transferred from Old Dominion. Wisconsin fans have the in-state advantage here, but Notre Dame always travels well.<\/p>\n

Why Notre Dame is the staff’s prediction to win the national title<\/p>\n

David Ubben<\/p>\n

Leagues Cup final<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 6 on Apple TV<\/p>\n

This MLS and Liga MX crossover comes down to four Mexican clubs. The winners of Toluca versus Le\u00f3n and Am\u00e9rica versus Monterrey play for the title. Each of the top three finishers qualify for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup, and the victor goes straight into the round of 16.<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s Champions League: League Phase Matchday 1<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 8-10 on Paramount+<\/p>\n

As always, the UCL field is loaded to the brim. French titan Paris Saint-Germain bids for a three-peat with Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9. Declan Rice and EPL champion Arsenal embark on a redemption tour<\/a>. Bundesliga club Bayern Munich has Harry Kane<\/a>, and La Liga\u2019s Barcelona has Lamine Yamal. Soccer\u2019s great gauntlet never disappoints.<\/p>\n

New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 9, 8:20 p.m. on NBC<\/p>\n

The NFL kicks off its new season with a rematch of last season\u2019s Super Bowl. Drake Maye and the Pats visit Sam Darnold and the 12s<\/a> on \u201cSunday Night Football,\u201d which is on a Wednesday this time. Sure. New England arrives after the A.J. Brown trade and the Mike Vrabel saga<\/a>; Seattle raises a second banner as team ownership<\/a> changes over.<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s Pro Baseball League playoffs<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 9-22 on the ESPN app<\/p>\n

All four WPBL teams \u2014 the Boston Hunters, Los Angeles Queens, New York Heights and San Francisco Firebells \u2014 make the first postseason. It\u2019s a best-of-three semifinals and a best-of-five championship series. Among the notable names are No. 1 pick Kelsie Whitmore<\/a> and former Little League standout Mo\u2019ne Davis.<\/p>\n

San Francisco 49ers vs. <\/strong>Los Angeles Rams<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 10, 8:35 p.m. on Netflix<\/p>\n

Division rivals and Super Bowl aspirants begin their 2026 campaigns at Melbourne Cricket Ground. This Netflix exclusive marks the NFL\u2019s regular-season debut in Australia. New Rams pass rusher Myles Garrett pairs with the unretired Aaron Donald<\/a>, while Niners running back Christian McCaffrey adds star wattage on the other sideline. Head coaches Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan are two of the league\u2019s top play callers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Solheim Cup<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 11-13 on Golf Channel<\/p>\n

Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands hosts this women\u2019s tourney between the U.S. and Europe. Angela Stanford captains the American side, while Swedish mainstay Anna Nordqvist leads the Europeans. The first two days are foursomes and four-ball matches; the third day shifts to singles.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open singles finals<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 12-13 on ABC and ESPN<\/p>\n

Tennis takes Queens, N.Y., for the last Grand Slam of the season. Defending men\u2019s champion Carlos Alcaraz returns from a wrist injury and now seeks his fourth major championship in two years. On the women\u2019s side, Aryna Sabalenka tries to conquer the tournament for a third consecutive time. The women\u2019s final on Sept. 12 starts at 4 p.m. on ESPN, while the men\u2019s final is the following day at 2 p.m. on ABC.<\/p>\n

Ohio State at Texas<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 12, 7:30 p.m. on ABC<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve got a top-five powerhouse headliner, with \u201cCollege GameDay\u201d on campus in Austin. Quarterbacks Julian Sayin and Arch Manning are Heisman hopefuls. Wideouts Jeremiah Smith and Cam Coleman look like NFL Draft gems. This has game-of-the-year potential<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 12, 8 p.m. on Paramount+ (main card)<\/p>\n

A long lineage of Las Vegas boxing spectacles continues with Garcia, who holds the WBC welterweight title, and Benn, his mandatory challenger. Benn\u2019s father, Nigel, won the belt as a super middleweight in 1992.<\/p>\n

Spanish Grand Prix<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 13, 9 a.m. on Apple TV<\/p>\n

Madring\u2019s maiden F1 race offers the longest banked turn on the circuit. McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finished first and second in last year\u2019s run, which was held in Barcelona.<\/p>\n

Manchester City at Manchester United<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 13, 11:30 a.m. on NBC, NBCSN\/Peacock or USA<\/p>\n

City\u2019s Erling Haaland and United\u2019s Bruno Fernandes stand atop The Athletic\u2019s Premier League rankings<\/a>. Old Trafford is the \u201cTheatre of Dreams<\/a>.\u201d The derby paints heroes and villains in reds and blues, with enough natural pageantry to demand a worldwide audience.<\/p>\n

LSU at Ole Miss<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m. on ABC<\/p>\n

A new kind of booing might be invented at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Lane Kiffin guided Ole Miss to its most promising year in several lifetimes, then left to coach fellow SEC member LSU without any love lost<\/a>. Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebels certainly want to show out against Kiffin\u2019s remade Tigers. It\u2019s another \u201cCollege GameDay\u201d special as well.<\/p>\n

NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m. on USA and HBO Max<\/p>\n

The chase is on. Denny Hamlin enters the 10-race playoff<\/a> atop the points table, with a No. 1 seed to boost his odds at a first career NASCAR Cup Series title. Others in the field of 16 include No. 2 Ryan Blaney, No. 3 Tyler Reddick and No. 4 Ty Gibbs. The playoffs run through Nov. 8, but few tracks can match the pull of Bristol Motor Speedway.<\/p>\n

Kevin Hart\u2019s \u2018Cold as Balls\u2019 Season 13 premiere<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 20 on Netflix<\/p>\n

Fresh episodes of the ice bath interview show feature Novak Djokovic, Cooper Flagg, Rob Gronkowski, Zlatan Ibrahimovi\u0107 and Serena Williams. Yes, Hart is shorter than all of his guests.<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s Champions League: League Phase Matchday 1<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 22-23 on Paramount+<\/p>\n

Barcelona has been a force, winning three of the last four UEFA titles. It still has midfielder Aitana Bonmat\u00ed, a three-time Ballon d\u2019Or recipient. But pressure builds from the likes of OL Lyonnes, which adds forward Salma Paralluelo from Barca, and 2025 champion Arsenal.<\/p>\n

\u2018Go Deep: The DeSean Jackson Story\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 24 on Prime Video<\/p>\n

At his peak, Jackson was one of the NFL\u2019s most magnetic talents, a vertical game-breaker with swagger to spare. This documentary uses footage from his brother, Byron, tracing the receiver\u2019s journey from Pop Warner to the pros.<\/p>\n

Presidents Cup<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 24-27 on Golf Channel, NBC and Peacock<\/p>\n

Led by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and team captain Brandt Snedeker, the U.S. tries to get back on top of intercontinental golf and avenge its 2025 Ryder Cup loss. The Americans have claimed 10 straight Presidents Cups since a tie in 2003. The international team (sans Europe) stars South Korean Si Woo Kim and is captained by Australian Geoff Ogilvy. All four days are at Chicago\u2019s Medinah Country Club.<\/p>\n

Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 27, 4:25 p.m. on CBS<\/p>\n

The NFL\u2019s international schedule is bigger than ever this year, with nine matchups spread across seven different countries. This one brings the Ravens and Cowboys to Rio de Janeiro. Points should come wholesale between Baltimore\u2019s ground game (Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry) and Dallas\u2019 air attack (Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb).<\/p>\n

WNBA playoffs begin<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 27 on Disney networks (ABC, ESPN), Prime Video and USA<\/p>\n

The bracket teems with hype and hope. A\u2019ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces are the incumbent champs. Olivia Miles leads the Minnesota Lynx in pursuit of the franchise\u2019s fifth title. There are also the 3-and-D Golden State Valkyries, the star-laden New York Liberty, Caitlin Clark\u2019s Indiana Fever and Paige Bueckers\u2019 Dallas Wings. The playoffs run into October.<\/p>\n

\u2018All American\u2019 series finale<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 28, 8 p.m. on The CW<\/p>\n

From South Central to Beverly Hills, \u201cAll American\u201d dramatizes the culture clashes of Los Angeles high school football. The show, based on the life of former NFL linebacker and Super Bowl champ Spencer Paysinger, is wrapping up its eight-season arc.<\/p>\n

NHL opening night<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 29 on ESPN<\/p>\n

Hockey is back, and it bumps up to an 84-game regular-season schedule. ESPN gets things going with a national TV three-piece. First, the Carolina Hurricanes raise their championship banner before hosting the Florida Panthers. Later on, the New York Rangers take the ice against the rival Boston Bruins, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks at the Vegas Golden Knights.<\/p>\n

MLB wild-card series<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sept. 29-Oct. 1 on NBC and Peacock<\/p>\n

Playoff baseball brings on a distinct, rarified tension. The air thins and the game slows. Though there\u2019s still much to settle in the standings, 2026 wild cards could go to tentpoles like the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies. All four best-of-three series are on NBC Sports.<\/p>\n

From there, we shuffle into October \u2014 where the World Series and the almighty sports equinox<\/a> await us.<\/p>\n

Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cSummer has come and passed.\u201d That\u2019s a bummer for just about everyone, save for pumpkin spice lobbyists and…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1036772,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[49],"tags":[21354,1428,1369,392,35528,1430,1266,1833,1232,293,221,62,1464,67,132,68,232],"class_list":["post-1036771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wnba","tag-boxing","tag-college-football","tag-college-sports","tag-culture","tag-global-sports","tag-golf","tag-mlb","tag-motorsports","tag-nfl","tag-nhl","tag-soccer","tag-sports","tag-tennis","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us","tag-wnba"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1036771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1036771"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1036771\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1036772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1036771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1036771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1036771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}