2026 Sports Card Release Dates: Topps Baseball, Football & Basketball Calendar
ChronicCardsKey Takeaways
- Topps holds the exclusive MLB, NBA and NFL trading card licenses. The NFL license moved from Panini to Topps on April 1, 2026.
- 2025 Topps Chrome Football released April 15, 2026 as the first product under the Topps NFL license. 2026 Topps Flagship Football followed on August 21, 2026.
- 2026 Topps Update Series Baseball releases October 14, 2026.
- 2026-27 Topps Flagship Basketball releases October 22, 2026.
- 2026 Topps Chrome Football has no confirmed date yet. Dealer calendars list it for December 2026.
Table of Contents
This is a living calendar of 2026 sports card release dates. The biggest change of the year is football: Topps took over the exclusive NFL trading card license on April 1, 2026, ending Panini's run that started in 2016. Topps already held MLB and regained the NBA license in October 2025, so one company now makes the licensed cards for all three leagues.
Dates below are street dates from Topps and hobby release calendars. Manufacturers move dates, so confirm the week of release.
When do new sports cards come out in 2026?
New sports card products release almost every week. The main flagship dates for 2026 are Topps Series 1 Baseball (February 11), Topps Chrome Football (April 15), Bowman Baseball (May 13), Topps Flagship Football (August 21), Topps Update Series Baseball (October 14) and Topps Flagship Basketball (October 22).
2026 sports card release calendar
Below is the 2026 release calendar grouped by month. Past releases are marked.
February 2026
1 release2026 Topps Series 1 BaseballReleased
March 2026
1 release2026 Topps Heritage BaseballReleased
April 2026
1 release2025 Topps Chrome FootballReleased
Why it matters: the first product under the Topps NFL license
May 2026
1 release2026 Bowman BaseballReleased
What to chase: 1st Bowman prospect cards
June 2026
1 release2026 Topps Series 2 BaseballReleased
July 2026
1 release2026 Topps Chrome BaseballReleased
What to chase: refractor parallels
August 2026
2 releases2025-26 Topps Chrome Updates BasketballReleased
2026 Topps Flagship FootballReleased
What to chase: 1957 Rookie Variations, Flagship First Signatures
September 2026
1 release2026 Bowman Chrome BaseballReleased
October 2026
6 releases2026 Topps Allen & Ginter Baseball
2026-27 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey
What to chase: Young Guns rookies
2026 Topps Update Series Baseball
2026 Topps Chrome Formula 1
2026 Topps Heritage Football
What to know: built on the 1976 Topps design
2026-27 Topps Flagship Basketball
November 2026
2 releases2026 Topps Cosmic Chrome Baseball
2026 Topps Chrome Update Series Baseball
What to know: expected mid-November, day not confirmed
December 2026
1 release2026 Topps Chrome Football
What to know: on dealer calendars for December, Topps has not announced the day
2026 Topps baseball card release dates
- February 11, 2026: 2026 Topps Series 1 Baseball
- March 18, 2026: 2026 Topps Heritage Baseball
- May 13, 2026: 2026 Bowman Baseball
- June 10, 2026: 2026 Topps Series 2 Baseball
- July 22, 2026: 2026 Topps Chrome Baseball
- September 9, 2026: 2026 Bowman Chrome Baseball
- October 7, 2026: 2026 Topps Allen & Ginter Baseball
- October 14, 2026: 2026 Topps Update Series Baseball
- November 4, 2026: 2026 Topps Cosmic Chrome Baseball
- Mid-November 2026 (expected): 2026 Topps Chrome Update Series Baseball
Shop baseball cards.
2026 Topps football card release dates
Topps became the NFL's exclusive trading card licensee on April 1, 2026. These are the first licensed Topps NFL sets in about a decade.
- April 15, 2026: 2025 Topps Chrome Football
- August 21, 2026: 2026 Topps Flagship Football
- October 21, 2026: 2026 Topps Heritage Football
- December 2026 (date TBA): 2026 Topps Chrome Football
Panini football released after the handover is not NFL licensed, i.e. no NFL team logos. Topps' new football patch autograph is the 1/1 Rookie PREM1ERE Patch Autograph. See what RPA means in sports cards. Shop football cards.
Topps basketball card release dates
Topps regained the exclusive NBA license in October 2025, ending Panini's 16-year run.
- October 23, 2025: 2025-26 Topps Basketball
- December 18, 2025: 2025-26 Topps Chrome Basketball
- August 6, 2026: 2025-26 Topps Chrome Updates Basketball
- October 22, 2026: 2026-27 Topps Flagship Basketball
Shop basketball cards.
Upper Deck hockey card release dates
- October 7, 2026: 2026-27 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey, the set with the Young Guns rookies
Shop hockey cards.
What is the biggest sports card release of 2026?
The biggest story of 2026 is the NFL license moving to Topps. 2025 Topps Chrome Football on April 15, 2026 was the first release under the new license, and 2026 Topps Flagship Football on August 21, 2026 brought back the Topps NFL flagship set. In basketball, 2026-27 Topps Flagship Basketball on October 22, 2026 opens Topps' second season with the NBA license.
How to buy 2026 releases without overpaying
- Buy from authorized hobby dealers.
- Read the box configuration. Hobby, Jumbo, Mega Box, and Blaster carry different odds and parallel availability. See hobby box vs retail.
- Confirm street dates the week of release. Release dates do move.
Shop singles by sport: baseball, basketball, football, hockey and racing, or browse the full catalog. New to the terms? Use the sports card glossary. Breaking these on stream? Read how to become a sports card breaker.
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