Week Zero gets its name because it lands the Saturday before the sport’s traditional opening weekend — a preview slate for fans who don’t want to wait until Labor Day. The Week 0 college football schedule 2026 actually spans three days: FCS programs start Thursday, August 27, a handful of games trickle in Friday, and the full FBS slate — headlined by North Carolina and TCU meeting in Dublin — arrives Saturday, August 29.
Who’s Playing Week 0: The Headline FBS Matchups
- TCU vs. North Carolina (Aer Lingus College Football Classic) — Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
- NC State at Virginia — Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, VA
- Hawaii at Stanford — Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA
- New Mexico State at Florida State — Doak S. Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
- Jacksonville State at North Dakota State — FARGODOME, Fargo, ND
- Sacramento State at Eastern Michigan — Rynearson Stadium, Ypsilanti, MI
- Memphis at UNLV — Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Who’s Playing Week 0: FCS Highlights
- Alabama A&M vs. Howard (MEAC/SWAC Challenge, Atlanta, GA)
- Southern vs. Alabama State (Birmingham, AL)
- Morgan State at North Carolina A&T
- East Texas A&M at Mercer
- North Alabama vs. Samford (Huntsville, AL)
- Prairie View A&M at Tarleton State
- Jackson State at Tennessee State
- Stetson at South Dakota State — Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, Brookings, SD, opening the Jackrabbits’ 2026 slate against a newly added FCS opponent
Week 0 – The Complete College Football Schedule 2026, Day by Day
Thursday, August 27 (All times ET)
- Mercyhurst at Youngstown State — 6 p.m., ESPN+
- Maine at Towson — 6 p.m., FloSports
- Chattanooga at West Georgia — 7 p.m., ESPN+
- Charleston Southern at Lindenwood — 7 p.m., ESPN+
- Southern Illinois at West Florida — 7 p.m., ESPN+
- Mississippi Valley State at Nicholls — 7 p.m., ESPN+
- Central Arkansas at UT Martin — 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
- Gardner-Webb at Austin Peay — 7 p.m., 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
- Marist at New Haven — 6 p.m., NEC Front Row
- Colgate at Fordham — 6 p.m., ESPN+
- New Hampshire at UAlbany — 7 p.m., FloSports
- Weber State at Northern Colorado — 9 p.m., ESPN+
- Idaho at Cal Poly — 10 p.m., ESPN+
- Rhode Island at Merrimack — ESPN+
Week 0 – Saturday, August 29 — The Full College Football Schedules 2026 Slate
- Aer Lingus College Football Classic: North Carolina vs. TCU (Dublin, Ireland) — 12 p.m., ESPN
- NC State at Virginia — 3:30 p.m., ESPN
- San Jose State at Southern California — 3 p.m., NBC/Peacock
- Southern vs. Alabama State (Birmingham, AL) — 3 p.m., ESPNU
- Jacksonville State at North Dakota State — 5:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
- Sacramento State at Eastern Michigan — 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
- Morgan State at North Carolina A&T — 6 p.m., FloSports
- New Mexico State at Florida State — 7 p.m., The CW
- Hawaii at Stanford — 7 p.m., ACC Network
- East Texas A&M at Mercer — 7 p.m., ESPN
- North Alabama vs. Samford (Huntsville, AL) — 7 p.m., ESPN+
- North Carolina Central at Texas Southern — 7 p.m., HBCU GO
- Monmouth at Tennessee Tech — 7 p.m., ESPN+
- Eastern Kentucky at Western Carolina — 7 p.m., ESPN+
- Stetson at South Dakota State — 7 p.m., ESPN+
- MEAC/SWAC Challenge: Alabama A&M vs. Howard (Atlanta, GA) — 7:30 p.m., ABC
- Prairie View A&M at Tarleton State — 9 p.m., ESPN+
- Memphis at UNLV — 10 p.m., FOX
- Jackson State at Tennessee State — Time TBA, ESPN+
- Abilene Christian at Lamar — Time TBA, ESPN+
- William & Mary at Villanova — Time TBA, ESPN+
What’s Next After Week 0
Week 1 begins the following week, with most games set for Thursday, September 3, continuing through Labor Day Monday. From there, conference play follows its own staggered start — some leagues dip in during Week 0 or 1, while others, like the Big Ten, wait until September 19 with the bulk of their schedule arriving September 26.
FAQ
Q: What is the Week 0 college football schedule 2026?
A: The Week 0 college football schedule 2026 spans August 27–29, with FCS games starting Thursday and the full FBS slate — headlined by North Carolina vs. TCU in Dublin — arriving Saturday, August 29.
Q: What time does North Carolina vs. TCU kick off 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.
Q: Why did NC State at Virginia move from Brazil to Charlottesville?
A: The 2026 NC State-Virginia game was originally scheduled for Rio de Janeiro as part of “College Football Brasil,” but was relocated to Scott Stadium in Charlottesville after event organizer Athlete Advantage informed the ACC the event couldn’t be conducted. The game kept its original Week 0 date via an NCAA waiver.
Q: What TV channels carry Week 0 college football games in 2026?
A: The college football Week 0 schedule 2026 airs across ESPN, ESPN+, ESPNU, ABC, FOX, NBC/Peacock, CBS Sports Network, The CW, ACC Network, FloSports, and HBCU GO.
