John Harbaugh's debut as head coach of the New York Giants is already shaping up to be a must-watch event. The NFL has officially announced that Harbaugh and the Giants will kick off the 2026 season under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football on NBC, facing the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on September 13 at 8:20 PM ET.

This Week 1 matchup carries extra weight, as Harbaugh looks to reverse a troubling trend for the Giants. In recent years, New York has struggled mightily in season openers—falling 21-6 to Washington in 2025, 28-6 to the Vikings in 2024, and a brutal 40-0 loss to these very Cowboys in 2023. The Giants' last Week 1 victory came in 2022, when they edged the Titans 21-20 in Brian Daboll's debut as head coach. Now, all eyes will be on Harbaugh to see if he can replicate that success.

The rivalry between these two NFC East powerhouses runs deep, and the schedule-makers have clearly taken notice. This marks the eighth time in the last 15 seasons that the Cowboys and Giants have opened the season against each other. While Dallas has historically dominated this matchup—winning 16 of 17 meetings before the Giants snapped that streak with a Week 18 victory to close out the 2025 season—the energy at MetLife Stadium for Harbaugh's first game promises to be electric.

Beyond the season opener, the Giants' 2026 schedule features a mix of familiar foes and intriguing cross-conference matchups. At home, New York will host the Cowboys, Commanders, Eagles, Cardinals, Browns, Jaguars, Saints, 49ers, and Titans. On the road, the Giants will travel to face the Lions, Texans, Colts, Rams, and Seahawks.

The full NFL regular season schedule is set to be released Thursday night, but this early reveal has already given fans plenty to talk about. Will John Harbaugh's Giants rise to the occasion and start the season with a statement win? Or will the Cowboys once again spoil the party in East Rutherford? One thing is certain—this Sunday night showdown is going to be unforgettable.