Monday, September 7, 2026. Kickoff 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Opening week ends on Labor Day. SMU visits Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium in the last game of the first weekend, with the entire sport watching because nothing else is on.
Florida State arrives 1-0, having beaten New Mexico State 34-17 in Week 0.
| Day | Monday, September 7 — Labor Day |
| Kickoff | 7:30 p.m. ET · 6:30 CT · 5:30 MT · 4:30 PT |
| TV | ESPN |
| Streaming | ESPN App, Disney+, Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling Orange |
| Venue | Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee |
An ACC Game to Open the Season
This is unusual: a conference game in Week 1. Most programs open with non-conference opponents and build toward league play, but SMU and Florida State start with an ACC result already on the board.
That matters in a conference where the championship game participants are decided by conference record alone. A Week 1 loss here carries weight in December that a non-conference defeat would not.
Florida State Has Already Played
The Seminoles opened in Week 0 with a 34-17 win over New Mexico State, which gives them a fortnight of live football before SMU arrives. Our Florida State schedule has their full season.
SMU has not played at all. In a conference opener, that asymmetry is worth something.
The Labor Day Slot
Being the last game of the weekend is the most valuable real estate on the calendar outside a playoff. There is no competition, the audience has spent four days watching football, and ESPN puts its full promotional weight behind it.
The trade-off is a short week if either team plays early the following Saturday.
How to Watch
ESPN carries it nationally, with Disney+ now offering a streaming route alongside Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream and Sling Orange. No antenna option — ESPN is cable-only.
The Bottom Line
SMU at Florida State kicks off 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, September 7 on ESPN from Doak Campbell Stadium. It closes opening week, it is an ACC conference game in Week 1, and Florida State enters 1-0 from Week 0.