The 2026 college football season is about to crash land, and it is starting with a shocker: North Carolina and No. 23 TCU are facing off in Dublin, Ireland, on Saturday, Aug. 29, at noon ET. That’s right, the FBS Week 0 slate is going international, bringing the Aer Lingus College Football Classic to Aviva Stadium with a preseason Top 25 matchup from the US LBM Coaches Poll. Talk about kicking things off with a bang, and you can catch all that action on ESPN.
Week 0 Is Officially Here and It Counts!
Forget waiting around, because the FBS Week 0 slate is getting the party started even earlier on Saturday, Aug. 29. These aren’t exhibition games, folks. Every snap, every score, every gut-wrenching play in Week 0 counts toward the team’s record. It is 100% regular-season action! Later that day, keep your eyes on ESPN at 3:30 p.m. ET as NC State visits Virginia at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia. That game was originally slated for Rio de Janeiro, so it has already had a wild ride! If you’re looking for some late-night West Coast action, FOX and FOX One kick off their Week 0 coverage with Memphis at UNLV at 10 p.m. ET. Other notable Week 0 matchups include San Jose State at USC, Hawaii at Stanford, and New Mexico State at Florida State. But before any of that, the FCS season gets a head start on Thursday, Aug. 27, with a bunch of games to warm us all up.
Big Noon Kickoff Returns as Week 1 Arrives
While Week 0 brings some crucial early games, the true kickoff for many teams, that first full Saturday we all live for, doesn’t land until Sept. 5. That’s when Week 1 really gets into full swing, running from Thursday, Sept. 3, through Monday, Sept. 7. Mark your calendars because FOX’s iconic Big Noon Kickoff returns on Sept. 5 at 10 a.m. ET, broadcasting live from Bloomington, Indiana, to celebrate the reigning national champion Indiana Hoosiers. FOX’s Big Noon Saturday window is going to be spotlighting the last three national champions across the first three weeks of the season, so you know they are bringing the heat!
You don’t want to miss a single moment of this, and thankfully, it’s never been easier to tune in. Week 0 and Week 1 games are airing across a ton of networks: FOX, FS1, ABC, CBS, ESPN, NBC, and Peacock. Plus, you have the conference-specific channels like Big Ten Network, SEC Network, and ACC Network. For all the FOX college football action, just snag FOX One, and you are set. Get ready, folks, because college football is back, and it is kicking off with a bang. Don’t miss a second!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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