Get ready for some new matchups during the 2026 high school football season.
For the final season of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association, divisions have been shaken up due to the departure of the three Livonia schools.
Gone are the geographically based East and West divisions. The KLAA returns to the Black and Gold division designations that were in place for 2017 after the league’s last big shakeup.
The county’s three KLAA members are in a division with Dearborn, Dearborn Heights Crestwood, Wayne Memorial and Westland John Glenn. Crestwood is a new KLAA member that will move to the Southeastern Conference with the remaining league schools in 2027-28.
Brighton has played Dearborn (2021) and Crestwood (1987) only once each, Wayne twice (2010 and 2011) and John Glenn six times (the last time in 2017).
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Hartland has never played Crestwood or Wayne and has faced Dearborn and John Glenn four times each.
Howell has never played Dearborn or Crestwood. The Highlanders have met Wayne twice (the last time in 2017) and John Glenn six times.
All three schools will face the same nonleague opponents they played last season. A date to circle will be Sept. 3 when Howell travels to Belleville in a rematch of the last two KLAA championship games, both won by the Highlanders.
The 2026 season will also bring back a county rivalry that has been dormant since 2020 when Pinckney travels to Fowlerville on Oct. 16.
The Little Brown Jug game between Brighton and Howell, typically played in Week 8, will be played in Week 7. It will be the second straight rivalry game for Howell, which hosts Hartland in Week 6.
Here’s a week-by-week look at the county’s 2026 football schedule:
Thursday, Aug. 27
Brighton at Dexter, 7 p.m.
Oxford at Hartland, 7 p.m.
Traverse City West at Howell, 7 p.m.
Lansing Waverly at Fowlerville, 7 p.m.
Owosso at Pinckney, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 3
Wayne Memorial at Brighton, 7 p.m.
Westland John Glenn at Hartland, 7 p.m.
Howell at Belleville, 7 p.m.
Fowlerville at Corunna, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 4
Tecumseh at Pinckney, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 11
Brighton at Northville, 7 p.m.
Hartland at Wayne Memorial, 7 p.m.
Dearborn at Howell, 7 p.m.
Williamston at Fowlerville, 7 p.m.
Pinckney at Jackson, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 18
Brighton at Hartland, 7 p.m.
Howell at Westland John Glenn, 7 p.m.
Fowlerville at Haslett, 7 p.m.
Adrian at Pinckney, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 25
Dearborn Heights Crestwood at Brighton, 7 p.m.
Hartland at Novi, 7 p.m.
Howell at Wayne Memorial, 7 p.m.
Lansing Eastern at Fowlerville, 7 p.m.
Pinckney at Ypsilanti, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 2
Hartland at Howell, 7 p.m.
Brighton at Dearborn, 7 p.m.
Fowlerville at Mason, 7 p.m.
Pinckney at Ypsilanti Lincoln, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 9
Brighton at Howell, 7 p.m.
Hartland at Dearborn Heights Crestwood, 7 p.m.
Fowlerville at St. Johns, 7 p.m.
Chelsea at Pinckney, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 16
Pinckney at Fowlerville, 7 p.m.
Westland John Glenn at Brighton, 7 p.m.
Dearborn at Hartland, 7 p.m.
Howell at Dearborn Heights Crestwood, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 23
Fowlerville at Charlotte, 7 p.m.
Ida at Pinckney, 7 p.m.
KLAA crossovers at Brighton, Hartland and Howell, 7 p.m.
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: New opponents fill 2026 Livingston County prep football schedules
Reporting by Bill Khan, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
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By Bill Khan, Livingston Daily | USA TODAY Network
