The Indiana Hoosiers will face the Miami Hurricanes in Monday night’s National Championship, closing the 2025 season. With the transfer portal, recruiting, coaching changes, and spring practice, the season rarely feels over. The real question: When does college football return?
Who Plays During Week 0 in 2026?
We’ll get a small appetizer during week 0 before the official 2026 college football season begins. Week 0 is August 29, 2026; five games are scheduled so far.
The headliner is once again the annual game in Ireland where Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels face TCU in Dublin. UNC and TCU won’t be the only teams on an international stage; NC State will play Virginia in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Florida State, after two disappointing years, will host New Mexico State. This is the Seminoles’ third Week 0 game. They beat Duquesne 47-7 in 2022 and lost to Georgia Tech on a last-second field goal in Dublin in 2024.
Here is the full rundown of the week 0 games, with times still to be announced:
Saturday, August 29
- North Carolina vs TCU (in Dublin, Ireland)
- NC State vs Virginia (in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
- New Mexico State vs. Florida State
- Hawaii vs. Stanford
- Memphis vs. UNLV
Who Plays in Week 1 in College Football in 2026?
Week 1 brings a few marquee matchups and many weekday games, as usual.
Week 1 starts Thursday, September 3, without a major headliner. Minnesota, Utah, and Wake Forest play lower-level teams. More games will likely move to Thursday and Friday as schedules finalize.
Saturday, September 5, should give us a real preview of 2026.
LSU and Clemson entered last season with high hopes, but both disappointed after LSU’s 17-10 win. LSU fired Brian Kelly and hired Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss; this will be his debut.
Other notable games: Ole Miss vs. Louisville in Nashville and Baylor vs. Auburn in a rematch of last year’s 38-24 game in Waco, played in Atlanta. Auburn also has a new coach, former USF head man Alex Golesh.
Boise State visits Oregon at Autzen Stadium, and Notre Dame faces Wisconsin at Lambeau Field on Sunday, creating a great opening weekend.
Here’s a look at some of the games to watch during week 1, with times and television information still to be determined:
Saturday, September 5
- Clemson vs. LSU
- Boise State vs. Oregon
- Louisville vs. Ole Miss (in Nashville, TN)
- Baylor vs. Auburn (in Atlanta, GA)
- Fresno State vs. USC
- Colorado vs. Georgia Tech
- Tulane vs. Duke
- UCLA vs. Cal
Sunday, September 6
- Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame (in Green Bay, WI)
We’ll have a Labor Day game on September 7. Rumors point to another ACC matchup, but it’s not official. Once schedules are final, more games and possible new dates will be added as some contests move to Thursday, Friday, Sunday, or Monday.
So relax, college football returns August 29, 2026.
