Week 1: Thursday, September 3 through Monday, September 7, 2026. All times Eastern.
ESPN’s networks carry more Week 1 games than anyone, including the Thursday opener and the Labor Day finale that bookend the weekend.
ESPN
| Day | Game | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Thu | Colorado at Georgia Tech | 8:00 |
| Fri | Miami at Stanford | 9:00 |
| Sat | Oregon State at Houston | 12:00 |
| Sat | Texas State at Texas | 3:30 |
| Sat | Missouri State at Texas A&M | 7:00 |
| Sat | UCLA at California (nightcap) | 10:30 |
| Sun | Orange Blossom Classic: South Carolina State vs. Florida A&M | 3:00 |
| Mon | SMU at Florida State | 7:30 |
ESPN2
Labor Day Classic: Texas Southern at Prairie View A&M, Sunday at 12:00.
ESPNU
| Thu | Idaho at Utah | 9:00 |
| Fri | Long Island at Kansas | 8:00 |
| Sat | Liberty at James Madison | 12:00 |
| Sat | Oklahoma State at Tulsa | 3:45 |
| Sat | UL Monroe at Mississippi State | 7:30 |
ESPN+
Dozens of games, mostly FCS. The notable FBS ones: Bethune-Cookman at UCF (Thu 7:00), Utah Tech at BYU (Sat 8:00), Northern Arizona at Arizona (Sat 9:30), Morgan State at Arizona State (Sat 10:00), and SE Missouri State at Iowa State (Sat 1:00).
How to Watch Without Cable
ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU are cable channels. Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream and Sling Orange all carry them, and several offer free trials. The ESPN App streams them for authenticated subscribers.
ESPN+ is different. It is a standalone subscription you can buy directly for a monthly fee — no cable, no provider login. That makes ESPN+ games among the most accessible of the week, despite not being on television.
Disney+ now carries some ESPN content too, including Oregon State at Houston and Texas State at Texas.
Note the exception. SEC Network+ games are not ESPN+ games. They also stream through the ESPN App, but require a provider carrying SEC Network and cannot be bought separately. Five Week 1 games fall into that category.
The Bottom Line
ESPN carries eight Week 1 games including both bookends — Colorado at Georgia Tech on Thursday and SMU at Florida State on Labor Day Monday. ESPNU has five, ESPN2 has the Labor Day Classic, and ESPN+ has dozens more. ESPN+ is a standalone subscription; the linear channels need a provider. Full listings in our Week 1 TV schedule.