Cedar Rapids RoughRiders unveil 2026-27 home schedule, season opens Sept. 5

Cedar Rapids built its 2026-27 home calendar around a familiar formula: 32 games, two preseason dates, and a Friday-Saturday rhythm that keeps The Stable busy from early September through mid-March. The schedule release gave RoughRiders fans an early read on the season’s tone, with immediate home action, an in-state rivalry opener, and a clean 7:05 p.m. start time for every game.

The home exhibition slate begins Saturday, Sept. 5 against the Madison Capitols and continues Friday, Sept. 11 against the Dubuque Fighting Saints, with both games set for 7:05 p.m. Those dates land before the regular season and are included in season-ticket packages, giving Cedar Rapids an early look at its roster while also giving ticket holders two September nights at The Stable before the standings matter.

The first regular-season home game arrives Saturday, Sept. 26, when the RoughRiders host Dubuque in one of the USHL’s most recognizable in-state matchups. That game is the one that will set the tone for the opening month at home, because it follows a pair of exhibition dates and immediately puts Cedar Rapids into rivalry territory. The all-7:05 p.m. start structure makes the schedule easy to track for families and season-ticket holders, and it gives the building a consistent routine from the first weekend on.

The weekly shape of the schedule is just as telling. Cedar Rapids has 12 Friday home games, 16 on Saturdays, one Tuesday game and one Wednesday game. The Tuesday, Dec. 29 contest comes right after the holiday break and will be the club’s first game back from the pause, a spot that can test how quickly the roster resets after Christmas. The Wednesday, March 17 home date gives the RoughRiders a St. Patrick’s Day night late in the season, one of the clearest candidates to become a marquee crowd draw.

The organization said it plans to release its promotional calendar around July 31, with theme nights, giveaways and special events still to come. The USHL Fall Classic, set for Sept. 16-20 in Chicago, adds another layer to the calendar even though opponents and game times remain to be announced. Taken together, the schedule points to a season built on steady weekend traffic, rivalry energy, and a few circled dates that should shape both attendance and momentum at The Stable.