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College Football 2026 Kickoff — Week 0 (Aug 29) and Week 1 (Sept 3-7) Schedule

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One-line summary

The 2026 college football season opens Aug 29 with Week 0, led by North Carolina vs. TCU in Dublin. Week 1 runs Sept 3-7: Clemson-LSU on Sept 5, Notre Dame-Wisconsin at Lambeau Field on Sept 6.

Week 0: the Aug. 29 slate

The 2026 season opens with a Week Zero schedule that starts Thursday, Aug. 27 with FCS matchups and builds to a Saturday, Aug. 29 FBS slate. The showcase game is the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland, where North Carolina meets TCU at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN — the annual Irish opener that has become a Week 0 tradition. Back in the U.S., San Jose State visits USC at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, Hawaii plays at Stanford at 7 p.m. ET on ACC Network, and the night ends with Memphis at UNLV at 10 p.m. ET on FOX.[1][2][3]

Week 1: Sept. 3-7 over Labor Day weekend

Week 1 spans five days, from Thursday, Sept. 3 through Labor Day Monday, Sept. 7, with the bulk of season openers on Saturday, Sept. 5. The Saturday card includes North Texas at Indiana — the defending national champion after Indiana beat Miami 27-21 in the CFP title game — at 12 p.m. ET on FOX, Ball State at Ohio State at 12:30 p.m. ET on BTN, Boise State vs. Oregon at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS, and the prime-time headliner, Clemson at LSU, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.[1][2][4]

Sunday, Sept. 6 brings a rare NFL-stadium doubleheader feel: Wisconsin faces Notre Dame at Lambeau Field in Green Bay at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, with the Washington-Washington State Apple Cup rivalry also reported for the Sunday window. Week 1 wraps Monday night, Sept. 7, with SMU at Florida State on ESPN, closing the longest opening weekend on the college football calendar.[2][3]

Verified facts

Cross-checked against 2+ independent sources

This section contains facts cross-checked against multiple sources.

The 2026 FBS season's Week 0 slate is Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, and Week 1 runs Thursday, Sept. 3 through Monday, Sept. 7, with most teams opening on Saturday, Sept. 5 over Labor Day weekend.[1][2][3] 3 sources

North Carolina faces TCU in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland, on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN.[1][2] 2 sources

San Jose State plays at USC on Aug. 29 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock; the Week 0 slate also includes Hawaii at Stanford (7 p.m. ET, ACC Network) and Memphis at UNLV (10 p.m. ET, FOX).[1][2][3] 3 sources

Clemson visits LSU on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC in Week 1's marquee matchup.[1][2] 2 sources

Wisconsin faces Notre Dame at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.[1][2][3] 3 sources

Other Week 1 Saturday games on Sept. 5 include North Texas at Indiana (12 p.m. ET, FOX), Ball State at Ohio State (12:30 p.m. ET, BTN), and Boise State vs. Oregon (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS).[2][4] 2 sources

Reported, not confirmed

Not cross-checked — do not read as fact

From here on: claims and speculation that are not cross-checked.

USC enters the season ranked No. 14 in preseason polls as it opens against San Jose State.[3] single-source ×1 · NBC Insider

TCU is ranked No. 23 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll ahead of the Dublin opener against North Carolina.[2] single-source ×1 · FOX Sports

Week 1 closes with SMU at Florida State on Monday, Sept. 7 (Labor Day) at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.[2] single-source ×1 · FOX Sports

Timeline

  1. 2026-08-27

    2026 season's first games kick off in Week Zero, led by FCS openers on ESPN+.[1]

  2. 2026-08-29

    Main Week 0 FBS slate: North Carolina vs. TCU in Dublin (ESPN), San Jose State at USC (NBC/Peacock), Hawaii at Stanford, Memphis at UNLV.[1][2]

  3. 2026-09-03

    Week 1 begins (Thursday night games).[1][2]

  4. 2026-09-05

    First full Saturday of the season, headlined by Clemson at LSU (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC).[1][2]

  5. 2026-09-06

    Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame at Lambeau Field, Green Bay (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock).[1][2][3]

  6. 2026-09-07

    Week 1 concludes on Labor Day, with SMU at Florida State reported as the Monday night finale (ESPN).[2]

How this page was made
Written
Model
claude-fable-5
Time
08/29/2026, 10:00
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8,000
Sources
5 sources adopted
Reviewed
Model
claude-fable-5 (review pass)
Time
08/29/2026, 10:00
Tokens
3,000
Verdict
Passed
Revision history
08/29/2026, 10:00 First authored (claude-fable-5) Created

Frequently asked

When does the 2026 college football season start?

Week Zero games begin Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, with the main Week 0 FBS slate on Saturday, Aug. 29. Week 1 runs Sept. 3-7, and most teams open on Saturday, Sept. 5 over Labor Day weekend.

What channel is North Carolina vs. TCU in Dublin?

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic between North Carolina and TCU airs Saturday, Aug. 29 at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN from Dublin, Ireland.

What are the biggest Week 1 games in 2026?

Clemson at LSU on Saturday, Sept. 5 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) and Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame at Lambeau Field on Sunday, Sept. 6 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) headline Week 1. Boise State vs. Oregon (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS) is another top Saturday game.

How can I watch Week 0 and Week 1 games?

Games are spread across ESPN, ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC/Peacock, BTN, and ACC Network. USC's opener and the Notre Dame-Wisconsin game stream on Peacock alongside the NBC broadcast.

Official links

Sources

  1. [1] When does the 2026 college football season start? primary
    NCAA.com · 2026-08-24
  2. [2] When Does 2026 College Football Start? Week 0 and 1 Schedule, How to Watch
    FOX Sports · 2026-08-28
  3. [3] College Football Games on NBC & Peacock This Week: Schedule (August 29)
    NBC Insider · 2026-08-28
  4. [4] College Football Schedule Week 1, 2026 Regular Season
    ESPN · 2026-08-28
  5. [5] College Football Schedule 2026
    FBSchedules.com · 2026-08-28

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