Saturday, September 5, 2026. Kickoff 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
This one isn’t a home game for anybody. Baylor and Auburn meet at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta as part of the Aflac Kickoff, one of the neutral-site season openers that have become a fixture of Labor Day weekend.
| Kickoff | 3:30 p.m. ET · 2:30 CT · 1:30 MT · 12:30 PT |
| TV | ABC |
| Streaming | ESPN App, Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream |
| Venue | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta — neutral site, indoors |
| Free option | ABC is available over the air with an antenna |
Why the Neutral Site Matters
Mercedes-Benz Stadium is indoors and climate-controlled, which removes the single biggest variable of early-September football in the South. No heat, no humidity, no weather delay.
It also removes home-field advantage — though Atlanta is a four-hour drive from Auburn and a very long way from Waco, so the crowd will not be neutral even if the field is.
Auburn’s Opener
Auburn’s SEC schedule includes hosting Vanderbilt in late September and travelling to Mississippi State in November. Opening against a Big 12 opponent on neutral ground is a harder start than most SEC teams take.
Baylor’s Opportunity
For Baylor this is the schedule’s showcase game — a national ABC window against an SEC program with nobody’s stadium to overcome. Neutral-site openers are how Big 12 teams build a case before conference play begins.
How to Watch Free
ABC carries it nationally and an antenna gets it free in most markets. Any streaming service with local broadcast channels works, and the ESPN App carries ABC games for authenticated subscribers.
The 3:30 window is the day’s busiest: Boise State at Oregon on CBS, Texas State at Texas on ESPN, and Marshall at Penn State on FS1 all start alongside it.
The Bottom Line
Baylor vs. Auburn kicks off 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, September 5 on ABC from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, as part of the Aflac Kickoff. It is indoors and neutral-site, and ABC is free over the air.