The anticipation for the 2026 college football season is already building. Fans can’t wait for the return of their favorite teams and those wild matchups that make the sport so addictive.
After Indiana’s big win in the 2025-26 College Football Playoff National Championship, people are buzzing about what’s next. The 2026-27 season is shaping up to be even crazier, if that’s possible.
Things kick off on Thursday, August 27, 2026, with “Week Zero.” If you’re the planning type, you can find the full schedule for the 2026 college football season here.
Week Zero: The Early Kickoff
Week Zero is basically a sneak peek at the season. It gives fans a little taste before the real chaos begins.
The first games of 2026 start on Thursday, August 27, and there’s already plenty to check out.
Thursday, August 27
Here’s what’s on deck for Thursday:
- 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. | ESPN+
- Central Arkansas at UT Martin | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN+
- Gardner-Webb at Austin Peay | ESPN+
- Stony Brook at Delaware State | ESPN+
- LIU at North Dakota | ESPN+
Friday, August 28
Friday keeps the momentum going. Here’s the 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
- Rhode Island at Merrimack | ESPN+
- Idaho at Cal Poly | ESPN+
Saturday, August 29
Saturday is when things get a bit wild, with a few international games thrown in for good measure:
- Aer Lingus College Football Classic: North Carolina vs. TCU (in Dublin, Ireland)
- College Football Brasil: NC State vs. Virginia (in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
- New Mexico State at Florida State
- Hawaii at Stanford
- Memphis at UNLV
- San Jose State at Southern California
- Jacksonville State at North Dakota State
- Sacramento State at Eastern Michigan
- MEAC/SWAC Challenge: Alabama A&M vs. Howard (in Atlanta, Georgia) | 7:30 p.m. ET | ABC
- Morgan State at North Carolina A&T | 6 p.m. ET | FloSports
- North Alabama vs. Samford (in Huntsville, AL) | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN+
- Eastern Kentucky at Western Carolina | ESPN+
- Jackson State at Tennessee State | ESPN+
- Abilene Christian at Lamar | ESPN+
- Monmouth at Tennessee Tech | ESPN+
- Prairie View A&M at Tarleton State | ESPN+
- William & Mary at Villanova | ESPN+
- North Carolina Central at Texas Southern
- Southern vs. Alabama State (in Birmingham, AL)
Week 1: The Official Start
Week 1 officially starts on Thursday, September 3, 2026. Labor Day weekend is packed, so get ready.
Thursday, September 3
- Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Missouri | 8 p.m. | SEC Network
- Colorado at Georgia Tech | ESPN
- Akron at Wake Forest
- UMass at Rutgers
- Eastern Illinois at Minnesota
- Idaho at Utah
- UAlbany at Buffalo
- Bethune-Cookman at UCF
- Merrimack at Delaware
- West Georgia at Kennesaw State
Friday, September 4
- LIU at Kansas
- Miami (FL) at Stanford
- North Carolina A&T at Georgia State
- San Jose State at Eastern Michigan
Saturday, September 5
Saturday’s lineup is loaded with games that could set the tone for the season:
- Baylor vs. Auburn (in Atlanta, Ga.)
- Washington State at Washington
- Clemson at LSU
- Boise State at Oregon
- North Texas at Indiana
- Ball State at Ohio State
- Texas State at Texas
- East Carolina at Alabama
- Tennessee State at Georgia
- Florida Atlantic at Florida
- Western Michigan at Michigan
- FIU at South Florida
- Liberty at James Madison
- Tulane at Duke
- Oklahoma State at Tulsa
Sunday, September 6
- Louisville vs. Ole Miss (in Nashville, TN) | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
- Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame (in Green Bay, WI) | NBC/Peacock
- Orange Blossom Classic: South Carolina State vs. Florida A&M (in Miami Gardens, FL)
- Texas Southern at Prairie View A&M
Monday, September 7
- SMU at Florida State
Early-Season Nonconference Games to Watch
There are a few early nonconference games that just jump off the page. You might want to circle these on your calendar, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Week 2
- Thursday, September 10: Florida A&M at Miami (FL)
- Friday, September 11: Rutgers at Boston College, Missouri at Kansas, Villanova at Louisville, Norfolk State at Virginia
- Saturday, September 12: Ohio State at Texas, Oklahoma at Michigan, Arizona State at Texas A&M, Oregon at Oklahoma State, Arkansas at Utah, UCF at Pittsburgh, Tennessee at Georgia Tech, Iowa State at Iowa, Memphis at Boise State, Georgia State at Kennesaw State
Week 3
- Saturday, September 19: Duke’s Mayo Classic: Virginia vs. West Virginia (in Charlotte, N.C.), Union Jack Classic: Arizona State vs. Kansas (in London, England), Miami (Ohio) vs. Cincinnati (neutral site in Cincinnati), Florida State at Alabama, FIU at Florida Atlantic, Michigan State at Notre Dame, Utah State at Utah, North Texas at Texas State, Virginia Tech at Maryland
College Football Playoff and Bowl Games
The 2026 season is the 13th College Football Playoff and the third year with 12 teams. Here’s a quick rundown of the big dates and where the games will be played:
First Round
- Week of Saturday, December 19
- One game: Friday, December 18
- Three games: Saturday, December 19
Quarterfinal Sites
- Fiesta Bowl: Wednesday, December 30
- Cotton Bowl: Friday, January 1
- Rose Bowl: Friday, January 1
- Peach Bowl: Friday, January 1
Semifinal Sites
- Orange Bowl: Thursday, January 14
- Sugar Bowl: Friday, January 15
CFP National Championship Game
- Monday, January 25, 2026 (in Las Vegas, Nevada)
The title game lands at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. It’s actually the first time the city gets to host the CFP National Championship Game.
Curious about the full history of the College Football Playoff National Championship? You can check it out on the official NCAA website.
The 2026 college football schedule is shaping up to be a wild ride. There are some matchups that already have fans buzzing.
Doesn’t matter if you bleed your team’s colors or just like to catch a game now and then—there’s something for everyone this season.
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