The 2026 college football season is set to commence with Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) games on Thursday, August 27. The Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) will follow two days later, with Week 0 games beginning on Saturday, August 29.
The official start of the FBS season includes an international game, the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, where North Carolina will face No. 23 TCU in Dublin, Ireland. This matchup is scheduled to kick off at noon ET on ESPN. Another Week 0 game will see NC State visiting Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, at 3:30 p.m. ET, also on ESPN.
FOX's Week 0 coverage is slated to begin with the Memphis at UNLV game at 10 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One. Other matchups for Week 0 include San Jose State at USC, Hawaii at Stanford, and New Mexico State at Florida State.
Week 0 games are considered regular-season contests and count towards each team's official record. They provide an earlier start for some eligible teams while the majority of programs begin their schedules in Week 1.
Week 1 Schedule
The first full week of the 2026 college football season, Week 1, will begin on Thursday, September 3, and conclude on Monday, September 7. The traditional opening weekend, featuring most of the major matchups, falls on Saturday, September 5, during Labor Day weekend.
FOX's "Big Noon Kickoff" program will return for the season on September 5 at 10 a.m. ET, broadcasting from Bloomington, Indiana, to cover the reigning national champion Indiana Hoosiers. FOX's "Big Noon Saturday" will feature the last three national champions in the first three weeks of the season.
Broadcast Information
Games during Week 0 and Week 1 will be broadcast across multiple networks including FOX, FS1, ABC, CBS, ESPN, NBC, and Peacock. Conference-specific networks such as the Big Ten Network, SEC Network, and ACC Network will also carry games. Fans can access FOX college football content through a subscription to FOX One.
For viewers without traditional cable television, live-streaming services like YouTube TV, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, and Fubo offer access to channels carrying college football games. Local FOX station broadcasts are also available with an antenna in areas with good reception. The availability of channels and local affiliates can vary based on the service, package, and market.
Kickoff times, television assignments, and game locations are subject to change before the season begins. Updates on matchup information can be found on the respective FOX Sports event pages.