The 2026 college football season start doesn’t happen all at once — it arrives in two waves. FCS programs kick things off first, on Thursday, August 27. The real headline slate, the one most fans mean when they ask “when does college football start,” follows two days later on Saturday, August 29, when North Carolina and TCU meet in Dublin, Ireland to open the FBS season. With conference realignment still reshaping the sport and the Power Five now officially the Power Four, this Week 0 stretch is the first real look at where things stand.
Thursday, August 27: FCS Kicks Off the 2026 College Football Season Start
Technically, the games start here, though it’s a lighter slate than what follows two days later.
- Mercyhurst at Youngstown State — 6 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- Maine at Towson — 6 p.m. ET, FloSports
- Chattanooga at West Georgia — 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- Charleston Southern at Lindenwood — 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- Southern Illinois at West Florida — 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- Mississippi Valley State at Nicholls — 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- Gardner-Webb at Austin Peay — 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- Central Arkansas at UT Martin — 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- Stony Brook at Delaware State — Time TBA, ESPN+
- LIU at North Dakota — Time TBA, ESPN+
- Houston Christian at Southeastern Louisiana — Time TBA, ESPN+
Friday, August 28: A Bridge Day Before the Full Slate
- Marist at New Haven — 6 p.m. ET, NEC Front Row
- Colgate at Fordham — 6 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- New Hampshire at UAlbany — 7 p.m. ET, FloSports
- Weber State at Northern Colorado — 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- Idaho at Cal Poly — 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- Rhode Island at Merrimack — ESPN+
Saturday, August 29: The Real 2026 College Football Season Start
This is the day. FBS football returns with an international showcase and a full national TV lineup.
- Aer Lingus College Football Classic: North Carolina vs. TCU (Dublin, Ireland) — 12 p.m. ET, ESPN
- San Jose State at Southern California — 3 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock
- Jacksonville State at North Dakota State — 5:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network
- Sacramento State at Eastern Michigan — 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- New Mexico State at Florida State — 7 p.m. ET, The CW
- Hawaii at Stanford — 7 p.m. ET, ACC Network
- Memphis at UNLV — 10 p.m. ET, FOX
FCS action the same day:
- Southern vs. Alabama State (Birmingham, AL) — 3 p.m. ET, ESPNU
- Morgan State at North Carolina A&T — 6 p.m. ET, FloSports
- East Texas A&M at Mercer — 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
- North Alabama vs. Samford (Huntsville, AL) — 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- North Carolina Central at Texas Southern — 7 p.m. ET, HBCU GO
- Monmouth at Tennessee Tech — 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- Eastern Kentucky at Western Carolina — 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- Prairie View A&M at Tarleton State — 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- Jackson State at Tennessee State — Time TBA, ESPN+
- Abilene Christian at Lamar — Time TBA, ESPN+
- William & Mary at Villanova — Time TBA, ESPN+
MEAC/SWAC Challenge:
- Alabama A&M vs. Howard (Atlanta, GA) — 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
What Comes After Week 0
Week 1 begins the following week, with most games set for Thursday, September 3, running through Labor Day Monday. Conference play starts on its own timeline after that — the Big Ten opens September 19, with most of its schedule following on September 26, while the SEC and other leagues fall into a similar early-September rhythm. The regular season runs its course to Rivalry Week on Saturday, November 28, and conference championship games follow on December 5, before the 12-team College Football Playoff kicks off in mid-December.
FAQ
Q: When does the 2026 college football season start?
A: The 2026 college football season start happens in two stages: FCS programs open Thursday, August 27, while the FBS season — headlined by North Carolina vs. TCU in Dublin — begins Saturday, August 29.
Q: What time is the North Carolina vs. TCU game in Dublin?
A: The Aer Lingus College Football Classic between North Carolina and TCU kicks off at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 29, airing on ESPN from Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.
Q: What is the college football Week 0 TV schedule for 2026?
A: The college football Week 0 TV schedule spans ESPN, ESPN+, ABC, FOX, NBC/Peacock, CBS Sports Network, The CW, and ACC Network, with the biggest games airing Saturday, August 29.
Q: When does Week 1 of the 2026 college football season begin?
A: Week 1 begins Thursday, September 3, 2026, running through Labor Day Monday, September 7, with most FBS teams playing their first game of the season that weekend.
