2026 College Football Season Begins With Week 0 Games

The 2026 college football season officially begins this weekend with a Week 0 slate of games on Saturday, August 29, headlined by an ACC conference matchup between Virginia and NC State and an overseas clash between North Carolina and TCU in Dublin, Ireland. The eight-game schedule marks the formal start of the campaign, with several notable storylines including the debut of FBS newcomers and a ranked USC team in action. The season kicks off at noon ET on ESPN with North Carolina facing TCU at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. This is a rematch of last year's season opener, which TCU won decisively, 48-14.