The 2026 college football season is almost here, but the exact start date depends on which subdivision and opening weekend you follow. FCS games begin Thursday, Aug. 27, the FBS Week 0 slate starts Saturday, Aug. 29 and the first full Saturday arrives Sept. 5. Here’s a breakdown of the biggest season-opening dates, matchups and how to watch on FOX.
The 2026 FCS season begins Thursday, Aug. 27, with several games. The FBS season begins two days later on Saturday, Aug. 29, opening with North Carolina vs. TCU at noon ET in Dublin, Ireland.
The 2026 FBS season begins Saturday, Aug. 29, with a limited Week 0 schedule played ahead of the traditional opening weekend. The opening slate includes one game overseas.
The Aer Lingus College Football Classic sends North Carolina and No. 23 TCU, as ranked in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, to Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, kicking off at noon ET on ESPN. Later that day, NC State visits Virginia at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia, at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The NC State-Virginia game was originally scheduled for Rio de Janeiro before being relocated to Charlottesville.
FOX’s Week 0 coverage begins with Memphis at UNLV at 10 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One.
Other Week 0 matchups include San Jose State at USC, Hawaii at Stanford and New Mexico State at Florida State.
Week 0 is the name given to the limited group of college football games played before the first full week of the season. It gives eligible programs an earlier opening date while most teams wait until Week 1 to begin their schedules.
Yes. Week 0 games are regular-season contests and count toward each team’s record. Week 0 is not a preseason or exhibition period.
Week 1 of the 2026 college football season starts Thursday, Sept. 3 and runs through Monday, Sept. 7. The first full Saturday is Sept. 5, when most of the marquee opening-weekend matchups will be played during Labor Day weekend.
FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff returns for the new season at 10 a.m. ET on Sept. 5, broadcasting from Bloomington, Indiana, as it celebrates the reigning national champion Indiana Hoosiers. FOX’s Big Noon Saturday window will spotlight college football’s last three national champions across the first three weeks of the season.
Week 0 and Week 1 games will air across FOX, FS1, ABC, CBS, ESPN, NBC and Peacock, along with conference-focused networks such as Big Ten Network, SEC Network and ACC Network.
FOX’s opening-weekend coverage includes Big Noon Kickoff and Big Noon Saturday, plus additional games on FS1 and BTN throughout the weekend. For a simple way to keep up with the action, fans can get FOX college football and more in one subscription with FOX One</
