The 2026 college football season is well underway, and Week 1 Friday games could yield some exciting results. The action continues with a slate of eight matches, including three nationally ranked teams.
Likewise, Michigan, Indiana, Kansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, and California will all grace these NCAA Division I FBS games.
Is There a College Football Game Today?
There are eight games in today’s college football schedule. The matches will also feature teams from the Pac-12, SEC, ACC, Big 12, and Big Ten.
College Football Games on Friday, September 4
All times listed here are Eastern Time.
San Jose State vs. Eastern Michigan, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
The Spartans are seeking their first win this season after a disappointing 42-26 loss to USC. They will travel to Rynearson Stadium to face an Eastern Michigan squad fresh off a 28-17 victory over Sacramento State. San Jose State ranks fifth (81.4) in the PFN Offense Impact Rankings, while Eastern Michigan is tenth (76).
North Carolina A&T vs. Georgia State, 7 p.m., ESPN+
The Aggies came up with only seven points during their season-opening loss to Morgan State. They will aim to bounce back against the Panthers, a team that finished 1-11 last season.
Indiana State vs. Purdue, 7 p.m., Big Ten Network
The Sycamores were the cellar-dwellers of the Missouri Valley Football Conference last season. Sadly, they started their 2026 schedule with a 23-21 loss to Southeast Missouri State. The search for their first win continues with a trip to Ross-Ade Stadium to face the Barry Odom-led Boilermakers, who finished at the bottom of last year’s Big Ten standings.
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Long Island University vs. Kansas, 8 p.m., ESPNU
After suffering a 42-21 loss against North Dakota in their season opener, the Sharks will face the Jayhawks at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. This non-conference game will be Kansas’s season opener after the team went 5-7 in 2025.
Toledo vs. Michigan State, 8 p.m., FS1
The Rockets are back in action after losing the Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl to Louisville, ending their season at 8-5. They will go on the road to Spartan Stadium to face a Spartans squad that struggled to a 4-8 finish last year. Michigan State fans hope that new head coach Pat Fitzgerald can help improve the team’s performance.
UTEP vs. (10) Oklahoma, 8 p.m., SEC+
Ben Arbuckle’s first season as the Sooners’ offensive coordinator led to a 10-3 record and a College Football Playoff berth. The same lofty expectations remain for him and head coach Brent Venables as they start their season as the 10th-best team in the Associated Press poll. The Sooners will start their schedule against UTEP, a team that went 2-10 last year.
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(7) Miami (Fla.) vs. Stanford, 9 p.m., ESPN
Tavita Pritchard’s stint as Stanford head coach is off to a good start after a 37-27 home victory against Hawaii. While the Cardinal will play their second consecutive home game, a tough challenge awaits them as they host the Hurricanes. Under Mario Cristobal, Miami remains one of the nation’s elite college football programs. The Hurricanes also have a chip on their shoulder after losing the CFP National Championship game to Indiana.
Fresno State vs. (14) USC, 9 p.m., FOX
In their victory over San Jose State, Jayden Maiava completed 25 of 29 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns. The redshirt senior also added a rushing touchdown. Meanwhile, the Trojans’ 16-point win over the Spartans had them first (98.7) in the PFN College Offense Impact Rankings and tenth (71.3) in the defensive rankings. If USC is to start a winning streak, it must deal with a Bulldogs squad that finished the 2025 season with a 9-4 record.
When Are the Next College Football Games?
After Friday, college football will have a packed Saturday, September 5, schedule. The massive offering of games will feature some of the country’s top teams, including defending national champions Indiana, top-ranked Ohio State, and No. 2 Oregon.
Saturday’s schedule (all times are on ET) is as follows:
- Coastal Carolina at West Virginia, 12 p.m., TNT
- Liberty at James Madison, 12 p.m., ESPNU
- Bryant at Army, 12 p.m., CBS Sports Network
- Lafayette at UConn, 12 p.m.
- East Carolina at (13) Alabama, 12 p.m., ABC
- New Hampshire at Syracuse, 12 p.m., ACC Network
- North Texas at (6) Indiana, 12 p.m., FOX
- Ohio at Nebraska, 12 p.m., FS1
- Oregon State at (23) Houston, 12 p.m., ESPN
- Tarleton State at Bowling Green, 12 p.m., ESPN+
- Miami Ohio at Pittsburgh, 12:30 p.m., CW
- Ball State at (1) Ohio State, 12:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
- Kent State at South Carolina, 12:45 p.m., SEC Network
- Youngstown State at Kentucky, 1 p.m., SEC+
- SE Missouri State at Iowa State, 1 p.m., ESPN+
- Duquesne at Air Force, 1 p.m., MW+
- Rhode Island at Temple, 2 p.m., ESPN+
- Tennessee State at (3) Georgia, 3 p.m., SEC+
- Texas State at (5) Texas, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
- Tulane at Duke, 3:30 p.m., ACC Network
- UT-Rio Grande Valley at UTSA, 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
- Towson at Navy, 3:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
- Marshall at (18) Penn State, 3:30 p.m., FS1
- Maine at Appalachian State, 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
- Furman at (20) Tennessee, 3:30 p.m., SEC+
- Fordham at North Dakota State, 3:30 p.m., MW+
- The Citadel at Charlotte, 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
- Boise State at (2) Oregon, 3:30 p.m., CBS
- Boston College at Cincinnati, 3:30 p.m., FOX
- Baylor at Auburn, 3:30 p.m., ABC
- Oklahoma State at Tulsa, 3:45 p.m., ESPNU
- Northern Illinois vs. (22) Iowa, 4:15 p.m., Big Ten Network
- North Alabama at Arkansas, 4:15 p.m., SEC Network
- Alcorn State at Southern Miss, 5 p.m., ESPN+
- Wyoming at Colorado State, 6 p.m., USA Network
- Norfolk State at Old Dominion, 6 p.m., ESPN+
- Eastern Kentucky at Jacksonville State, 7 p.m., ESPN+
- Arkansas State at Memphis, 7 p.m., ESPN+
- Austin Peay at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m., SEC+
- Abilene Christian at (12) Texas Tech, 7 p.m., FS1
- Houston Christian at Rice, 7 p.m., ESPN+
- FIU at South Florida, 7 p.m., ESPN+
- Charleston Southern at Georgia Southern, 7 p.m., ESPN+
- Idaho State at Utah State, 7 p.m., CBS Sports Network
- Murray State at Middle Tennessee, 7 p.m., ESPN+
- Nicholls State at Kansas State, 7 p.m., ESPN+
- Sam Houston at Troy, 7 p.m., ESPN+
- SE Louisiana at South Alabama, 7 p.m., ESPN+
- Missouri State at (8) Texas A&M, 7 p.m., ESPN+
- Western Michigan at (16) Michigan, 7:30 p.m., NBC
- VMI at Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m., ACC Network
- Northwestern State at Louisiana Tech, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
- UL-Monroe at Mississippi State, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU
- Clemson at (11) LSU, 7:30 p.m., ABC
- FAU at Florida, 7:45 p.m., SEC Network
- Lamar at Louisiana, 8 p.m., ESPN+
- Hampton at Maryland, 8 p.m., Big Ten Network
- Utah Tech at (14) BYU, 8 p.m., ESPN+
- South Dakota State at Northwestern, 8 p.m., Big Ten Network
- Mercyhurst at New Mexico State, 9 p.m., ESPN+
- Portland State at San Diego State, 9:30 p.m., USA Network
- Northern Arizona at Arizona, 9:30 p.m., ESPN+
- UNLV at Hawaii, 10 p.m., CW
- Mississippi Valley State at Sacramento State, 10 p.m., ESPN+
- Morgan State at Arizona State, 10 p.m., ESPN+
- Central Michigan at New Mexico, 10 p.m., FS1
- Western Kentucky at Nevada, 10:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
- UCLA at California, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
Week 1 of the 2026 Division 1 FBS season wraps up with three games on Sunday, September 6, and one on September 7.
