Gahanna Lincoln's varsity football team hit the field Thursday morning for its first scrimmage of 2026, traveling to Hilliard Bradley for a 10 a.m. contest that marks the unofficial start of a 12-game season capped by a Homecoming showdown against rival New Albany.

The Golden Lions' published schedule features a second scrimmage at home against Canal Winchester on Aug. 13, at 7 p.m., before the regular season kicks off Aug. 21, with Pickerington Central visiting for a 7 p.m. Youth Night game.

A week later, Gahanna hosts Springboro on Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Hall of Fame Game, which will honor the 1976 team and feature the Alumni Band.

The marquee date: Oct. 2. New Albany comes to Gahanna at 7 p.m. for Homecoming.

That game carries extra intrigue this fall. Across town, the Eagles are breaking in first-year head coach Mark Solis, who was announced as head coach in April pending Board of Education approval. Solis previously led Olentangy to multiple playoff appearances and brings a 169–83 career record built over 23 years as a head coach at five Ohio programs. New Albany opens its season Aug. 21, at London.

Gahanna Lincoln enters the year ranked No. 35 in Ohio by MaxPreps and competing in the Ohio Capital Conference, where the Lions are back-to-back OCC All-Sports champions. This fall also marks the program's first full football season in the new high school building, a nearly 500,000-square-foot facility that opened to students in January and includes a competition gym, a three-court fieldhouse and expanded spectator capacity.

The Lions close the regular season Oct. 23, at Pickerington North. Between now and then, Gahanna plays five home games and five on the road, with non-conference tests against Olentangy Liberty (Sept. 4, away), Olentangy Orange (Sept. 11, home) and Hilliard Darby (Sept. 18, away) sandwiched around OCC play.