The 2026 college football season begins Thursday, August 27, with a Week 0 slate that gives fans an early look at the new campaign. The opening games come from the FCS level, while most Division I programs will wait until next week. The NCAA lists Thursday as the start of the 2026 season, with 13 games scheduled across the evening.
So, is there a college football game tonight? Yes. Thursday’s schedule features FCS matchups from 6 p.m. ET through 8 p.m. ET, with ESPN+ carrying most of the action. FloSports also has the broadcast for Maine at Towson.
The Thursday slate serves as the opening act for Week 0. FBS teams will not begin their seasons until Saturday, August 29, when eight FBS games headline the weekend. The biggest matchup sends North Carolina and TCU to Dublin for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
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Thursday’s schedule is almost entirely made up of FCS contests. Several teams begin their seasons, including Youngstown State, Southeastern Louisiana, Austin Peay, Southern Illinois, UT Martin, and North Dakota. Fans can watch the majority of the games through ESPN+, making streaming the main option for tonight’s action.
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College Football Games (FCS) on Thursday, Aug. 27
- Mercyhurst at Youngstown State – 6 p.m. ET
- Maine at Towson – 6 p.m. ET
- Stony Brook at Delaware State – 6 p.m. ET
- Lafayette at Georgetown – 7 p.m. ET
- Houston Christian at Southeastern Louisiana – 7 p.m. ET
- Eastern Illinois at Murray State – 7 p.m. ET
- Chattanooga at West Georgia – 7 p.m. ET
- Charleston Southern at Lindenwood – 7 p.m. ET
- Southern Illinois at West Florida – 7 p.m. ET
- Mississippi Valley State at Nicholls – 7 p.m. ET
- Gardner-Webb at Austin Peay – 7 p.m. ET
- Central Arkansas at UT Martin – 7:30 p.m. ET
- LIU at North Dakota – 8 p.m. ET
The FBS season starts Saturday, August 29, with a compact but nationally televised schedule. North Carolina vs. TCU leads the lineup at noon ET from Dublin, while San Jose State visits USC, and NC State travels to Virginia in the first three games of the day.
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College Football Games (FBS) on Saturday, Aug. 29
- North Carolina vs. TCU – 12 p.m. ET (on ESPN)
- San Jose State at USC – 3 p.m. ET (on NBC/Peacock)
- NC State at Virginia – 3:30 p.m. ET (on ESPN)
- Jacksonville State at North Dakota State – 5:30 p.m. ET (on CBS Sports Network)
- Sacramento State at Eastern Michigan – 6:30 p.m. ET (on ESPN+)
- Hawaii at Stanford – 7 p.m. ET (on ACC Network)
- New Mexico State at Florida State – 7 p.m. ET (on The CW)
- Memphis at UNLV – 10 p.m. ET (on FOX)
Saturday also features several FCS games, including Southern vs. Alabama State and the MEAC/SWAC Challenge between Alabama A&M and Howard. Other FCS matchups include Abilene Christian at Lamar, Monmouth at Tennessee Tech, and Prairie View A&M at Tarleton State.
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The full Week 0 slate continues Friday with seven FCS games before Saturday’s larger schedule. Week 1 then arrives during Labor Day weekend, with most teams beginning play Saturday, September 5.
So, the answer for tonight is that college football is back. However, the FBS action waits until Saturday. Thursday belongs to the FCS programs opening the 2026 season first.
