Sports in Atlanta this October

Guide to Games and Sporting Events

By Demetrius Bell

Published September 23, 2026

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October figures to be a jam-packed month for sports here in the city of Atlanta. The Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Dream are both looking to bring home championships; the Falcons and our college teams are getting it going on the gridiron, the Hawks will be back on the court, and there’s plenty more action to follow and take part in in other sports and leagues.

Here’s our guide to everything that’s going on here in the crown jewel of the South in one of the busiest months of the year for sports. 

At a Glance

Atlanta Braves

Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Drake Baldwin and the rest of the Atlanta Braves have made it back to the MLB Postseason. It’s all set to start with Atlanta hosting the Wild Card Series at Truist Park, with the series beginning on Sept. 29 and finishing on Oct. 1 if there’s a need for a Game 3. If they win that series, there will be at least one Division Series game at Truist Park. If they can get out of the Divisional Round, then they’ll have at least two National League Championship Series games to play here, and if they win the NL Pennant, then there will be at least two World Series games waiting for them. Here’s hoping that the Braves take it all the way just like they did in 2021, and even if you can’t get into the ballpark itself for any games (which will be sold out), The Battery surrounding the stadium will be the place to be for all Braves fans. With plenty of shops and restaurants nearby and the Plaza Green located right outside of the Chop House Gate that’ll be showing the game on the Georgia Power Pavilion Stage, it’s the next best thing to being in the ballpark for the drama and pageantry that comes with playoff baseball.

Atlanta Falcons

Football season is in full swing, and October will be a very busy month for Mercedes-Benz Stadium as it hosts three games for the Atlanta Falcons. Bijan Robinson and Drake London will take the field and look to outrun Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football on Oct. 11. After that, Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears will be coming to town on Oct. 18 and then the perennially-contending San Francisco 49ers will be rolling into Atlanta on Oct. 25. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s fan-friendly concessions are the talk of the league and with plenty of new offerings (at affordable prices) on the menu around the stadium, taking in a game at one of the best stadiums in the NFL should be on your Fall schedule as a sports fan in Atlanta.

Atlanta United FC

Meanwhile, a different kind of football will still be going on at Mercedes-Benz Stadium as Atlanta United FC continues to kick it up and down the pitch as the MLS season winds down. Miguel Almiron and Breel Embolo will have three home games this month as well – FC Cincinnati will come in to challenge the Five Stripes on Oct. 10, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will visit on Oct. 17 and then Robert Lewandowski and the Chicago Fire will take on Atlanta United on Oct. 24. The Five Stripes will also have two road games on Oct. 14 against CF Montreal and on Oct. 28 against New York City FC, and for those games your best bet is to visit one of the many local bars in the Atlanta United pub partner network in order to take in the match with other footy fans in a lively atmosphere. It’s the next best thing to actually going to the stadium and taking in one of the most exciting atmospheres in all of world soccer.

Atlanta Dream

Angel Reese, Rhyne Howard and the rest of the Atlanta Dream will hopefully be making a deep run into the WNBA playoffs during October, as they’ve made the bracket as one of the eight top teams in the league. The best-of-three first round begins on Sept. 27, and if they advance from there, then the semifinals will start up on Oct. 4. If the Dream can make it all the way to the Finals, then that’ll start on Oct. 17. If that isn’t exciting enough, the Dream have upped the ante by hosting all games at State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta. Playoff Central is the place to be online, with plenty of information and access to buy tickets. The excitement is truly palpable as the Dream look to bring the WNBA title home to Atlanta.

Atlanta Hawks

If the Dream makes a deep run, State Farm Arena will be a very busy place for basketball as the Atlanta Hawks return for the 2026-27 season. Opening Night on Oct. 24 against the Houston Rockets will be your first chance to see Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels and CJ McCollum flying high above the rim for the Hawks. Then come back-to-back home games on Oct. 28 and Oct. 29 as the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers will respectively take on the Hawks across those two games. Between season ticket membership options, four separate options of 10-game “stack packs,” flex plans and single-game tickets, there are plenty of ways to get in on the season-long action at State Farm Arena.

Georgia Bulldogs vs Florida Gators

For one season only, the annual high-profile neutral-site rivalry game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Florida Gators will be in downtown Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium as this year’s installment of the Invesco QQQ Atlanta Gridiron Classic on Oct. 31. This is usually a big game with huge ramifications reverberating across the SEC, and it’s only right that the college football capital of America will be playing host to yet another big game. With it being such a huge game, this will very likely be a sell-out, as the stadium will be full of both red-and-black and orange-and-blue as these two historic rivals do football battle in a different venue for once. If you’re a college football fan, this is a huge game to be in the house for.

College Football

Georgia-Florida might be the biggest college football game happening in Atlanta this month, but it certainly won’t be the only one. Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Morehouse and Clark Atlanta will all be playing home games this month.

Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets will be celebrating 65 years of the famous Ramblin’ Weck as part of their Hall of Fame Weekend for their home game on Oct. 10 against Duke. Two weeks later, on Oct. 24, it’ll be Homecoming for Georgia Tech as they take on Boston College. Both of these are ACC games and Homecoming is always big, so this is definitely an enticing pair of games at historic Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Georgia State

Just a couple of miles away, the Panthers will play two home games at Center Parc Stadium during October. Oct. 3 is Homecoming for Georgia State as they take on Old Dominion, and then Coastal Carolina visits on Oct. 31 for a Halloween-themed game. The Panthers pride themselves on having very affordable options for their fans, so if you’re looking for some fun action in a unique atmosphere, then the Panthers will have you covered.

Clark Atlanta

The Homecoming games continue as Clark Atlanta celebrates alumni on Oct. 17 against Allen University, and then in-state rivals Albany State visit on Oct. 31. The winners of The Battle of the AUC will be looking to turn that momentum into a solid season in the SIAC conference, and these two games will go a long way towards helping the Panthers get to where they’d like to go as far as a successful season goes.

Morehouse

Meanwhile, the Maroon Tigers have only one home game in October, but it’ll be a big one since it’ll be the final home game of the season for Morehouse. It’ll also be Homecoming, as Morehouse faces off Savannah State on Oct. 10. Homecoming is an absolutely huge deal at Morehouse and the AUC as a whole, so this will be one of the most exciting tailgate atmospheres to experience when it comes to the HBCU football experience.

Georgia Tech Volleyball

Alida Bennour and the rest of Georgia Tech’s volleyball squad look to spike their ACC competition into the ground with four big conference games – including two games at the bigger McCamish Pavilion venue. Syracuse visits on Oct. 16, with a pink rally towel giveaway. Two days later, Boston College visits for an afternoon game on Sunday, Oct. 18. The two McCamish Pavilion games are on Oct. 23 and Oct. 25 – Pittsburgh challenges the Yellow Jackets on the 23rd as they honor the alumni at the game and host a light-up towel giveaway. SMU visits on the 25th, when the Jackets celebrate Fall National Girls and Women in Sports Day and give away free T-shirts. There’s plenty of reason to go out and support the highest level of college volleyball that the city has to offer.

For more sports in the Fall, check out our seasonal guide.

Demetrius Bell is an Atlanta-based writer who focuses on the Atlanta Braves and sports in general in the Atlanta metro area. He is the Managing Editor of SB Nation’s Battery Power, which covers the Braves on a daily basis. His work can be found in Baseball Prospectus, Forbes.com, YardBarker.com and SB Nation.