Week 1 runs Thursday, September 3 through Monday, September 7, 2026. All times Eastern.
Opening week spans five days because of Labor Day. More than 200 games are scheduled, ending with SMU at Florida State on Monday night.
The Ten Games That Matter Most
| Day | Game | Time · TV |
|---|---|---|
| Thu | Colorado at Georgia Tech | 8:00 · ESPN |
| Fri | Miami at Stanford | 9:00 · ESPN |
| Sat | East Carolina at Alabama | 12:00 · ABC |
| Sat | North Texas at Indiana | 12:00 · FOX |
| Sat | Boise State at Oregon | 3:30 · CBS |
| Sat | Baylor vs. Auburn | 3:30 · ABC |
| Sat | Clemson at LSU | 7:30 · ABC |
| Sat | Western Michigan at Michigan | 7:30 · NBC |
| Sun | Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame (Lambeau) | 7:30 · NBC |
| Mon | SMU at Florida State | 7:30 · ESPN |
Day by Day
Thursday — 14 games. UMass at Rutgers opens the season at 6 p.m., two hours before the game everyone calls the opener. Colorado at Georgia Tech is the only Power Four matchup.
Friday — 9 games. Two 9 p.m. West Coast kickoffs close the night, with both home teams already 1-0 from Week 0.
Saturday — the bulk of the slate. Noon through a 10:30 nightcap, with five games starting simultaneously at 3:30.
Sunday — 5 games. Unusual, and only possible because the NFL hasn’t started. The Apple Cup at 4:00, then Notre Dame at Lambeau Field and Louisville vs. Ole Miss in Nashville, both at 7:30. Plus two HBCU classics: the Labor Day Classic at noon and the Orange Blossom Classic at 3:00.
Monday — 1 game. SMU at Florida State closes the weekend with the entire sport watching.
Three Things to Know
Four teams have already played. Stanford, USC, Florida State and Memphis all won in Week 0, and three of them host games this week. That extra fortnight of live football is a real early-season edge.
Five games are streaming-only. Oklahoma, Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee and Vanderbilt all open on SEC Network+ — which cannot be purchased separately and needs a provider carrying SEC Network. Our TV schedule by channel breaks down what’s reachable.
Sunday and Monday exist because of Labor Day. Networks get two extra primetime windows they’d never have once the NFL season begins, which is why Notre Dame, the Apple Cup and an ACC conference game land outside Saturday.
The Bottom Line
Week 1 runs five days from Thursday, September 3 to Monday, September 7. Clemson at LSU on ABC is the headline game. Notre Dame plays at Lambeau Field on Sunday, the Apple Cup opens the season rather than closing it, and SMU at Florida State finishes the weekend on Labor Day night.