College Football Schedule & Key Dates for 2025-26 Season: When Does Football Season Start?
The college football season is upon us, with Week 0 on the horizon as we dig into the college football schedule and key dates for the 2025-26 season.
This college football season is full of heavyweight matchups, none more tantalizing than the college football national championship odds favorites, Texas and Ohio State, kicking off their seasons against each other on Aug. 30.
They aren't the only College Football Playoff odds contenders slated to go toe to toe in non-conference play either, as we highlight the best games on the college football schedule ahead of the season, featuring a plethora of stars hoping to win the Heisman Trophy odds race.
⏳ When does the 2025-26 college football season start?
The college football season begins with Week 0 on Saturday, Aug. 23. The season kicks off in Dublin, Ireland, at Aviva Stadium with Iowa State taking on Kansas State (noon ET, ESPN) in the programs' Farmageddon rivalry. Week 0 includes five games featuring FBS programs.
Week 1 of the college football season officially starts with games on Thursday, Aug. 28, leading into a full slate on Friday. Aug. 29 and Saturday, Aug. 30. There are two games on Sunday, Aug. 31 (Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina, Notre Dame vs. Miami) before one final game of Week 1 on Monday, Sept. 1, with Bill Belichick making his North Carolina debut against TCU.
Regular season games will continue each week until conference championship weekend on Friday, Dec. 5, and Saturday, Dec. 6. Bowl season will begin Saturday, Dec. 13, the same day as Army vs. Navy, and run until Friday, Jan. 2. The College Football Playoff will begin Friday, Dec. 19, with the College Football Playoff National Championship slated for Monday, Jan. 19.
📅 College football schedule
Here's a look at the college football schedule for this upcoming season. Key games are highlighted each week leading up to the start of bowl season on Saturday, Dec. 13, and the start of the College Football Playoff on Friday, Dec. 19.
| Week/date | Game of the week | Notable matchup | Underrated game to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 0 (Aug. 23) | Iowa State vs. Kansas State | Fresno State vs. Kansas | Sam Houston vs. Western Kentucky |
| Week 1 (Aug. 28-Sept. 1) | Texas vs. Ohio State | LSU vs. Clemson | TCU vs. North Carolina |
| Week 2 (Sept. 5-6) | Michigan vs. Oklahoma | Iowa vs. Iowa State | James Madison vs. Louisville |
| Week 3 (Sept. 11-14) | Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame | Georgia vs. Tennessee | Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia |
| Week 4 (Sept. 18-20) | Florida vs. Miami | South Carolina vs. Missouri | Texas Tech vs. Utah |
| Week 5 (Sept. 25-27) | Oregon vs. Penn State | Alabama vs. Georgia | LSU vs. Ole Miss |
| Week 6 (Oct. 2-4) | Kansas State vs. Baylor | Vanderbilt vs. Alabama | Clemson vs. North Carolina |
| Week 7 (Oct. 8-11) | Oklahoma vs. Texas | South Carolina vs. LSU | Indiana vs. Oregon |
| Week 8 (Oct. 14-18) | SMU vs. Clemson | Ole Miss vs. Georgia | Texas Tech vs. Arizona State |
| Week 9 (Oct. 21-25) | Texas A&M vs. LSU | Alabama vs. South Carolina | Kansas State vs. Kansas |
| Week 10 (Oct. 28-Nov. 1) | Penn State vs. Ohio State | Georgia vs. Florida | Arizona State vs. Iowa State |
| Week 11 (Nov. 4-8) | LSU vs. Alabama | Indiana vs. Penn State | Navy vs. Notre Dame |
| Week 12 (Nov. 11-15) | Texas vs. Georgia | South Carolina vs. Texas A&M | Clemson vs. Louisville |
| Week 13 (Nov. 18-22) | USC vs. Oregon | Louisville vs. SMU | Kansas State vs. Utah |
| Week 14 (Nov. 25-29) | Ohio State vs. Michigan | Clemson vs. South Carolina | Texas A&M vs. Texas |
| Week 15 (Dec. 5-6) | SEC Championship | Big Ten Championship | Big 12 Championship |
| Week 16 (Dec. 13) | Army vs. Navy | N/A | N/A |
| Bowl season (Dec. 13-Jan. 2) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| College Football Playoff (Dec. 19-Jan. 19) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
🏆 2025-26 College Football Playoff schedule
The first round of the 2025-26 College Football Playoff begins on Friday, Dec. 19, with one game and continues into Saturday, Dec. 20, with the remaining three games, all of which will be held on the higher seed's campus.
The quarterfinal starts with the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Eve (Wednesday, Dec. 31) and finishes up with the Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day (Thursday, Jan. 1).
The semifinal games will be held Thursday, Jan. 8 (Fiesta Bowl) and Friday, Jan. 9 (Peach Bowl) before the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium.
| Round | Date (time) | Location | How to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| First round | Friday, Dec. 19 (TBA) | TBD (campus site) | TBD |
| First round | Saturday, Dec. 20 (TBA) | TBD (campus site) | TBD |
| First round | Saturday, Dec. 20 (TBA) | TBD (campus site) | TBD |
| First round | Saturday, Dec. 20 (TBA) | TBD (campus site) | TBD |
| Quarterfinal | Wednesday, Dec. 31 (7:30 p.m. ET) | Cotton Bowl (AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas) | ESPN |
| Quarterfinal | Thursday, Jan. 1 (noon ET) | Orange Bowl (Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.) | ESPN |
| Quarterfinal | Thursday, Jan. 1 (4 p.m. ET) | Rose Bowl Game (Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif.) | ESPN |
| Quarterfinal | Thursday, Jan. 1 (8 p.m. ET) | Sugar Bowl (Caesars Superdome in New Orleans) | ESPN |
| Semifinal | Thursday, Jan. 8 (7:30 p.m. ET) | Fiesta Bowl (State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.) | ESPN |
| Semifinal | Friday, Jan. 9 (7:30 p.m. ET) | Peach Bowl (Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta) | ESPN |
| CFP National Championship | Monday, Jan. 19 (7:30 p.m. ET) | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Fla.) | ESPN |
❓ 2025-26 college football schedule FAQs
🗓️ When does the 2025-26 college football season start?
The 2025-26 college football season will start on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, with Farmageddon in Dublin, Ireland, between Iowa State and Kansas State at noon ET (ESPN). There are four other games that day as part of Week 0, with Week 1 of the season taking place between Thursday, Aug. 28, and Monday, Sept. 1.
🗓️ When does the 2025-26 College Football Playoff start?
The College Football Playoff starts with the first round on Friday, Dec. 19 and Saturday, Dec. 20, followed by the quarterfinal (Wednesday, Dec. 31 and Thursday, Jan. 1), the semifinal (Thursday, Jan. 8 and Friday, Jan. 9) and the College Football Playoff National Championship (Monday, Jan. 19).
🗓️ When is the 2026 college football national championship?
The 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship is on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
🏈 College football odds pages
| CFP National Championship Odds | SEC Odds | Big 12 Odds | Bowl Season Odds & Info |
| Heisman Trophy Odds | Big Ten Odds | ACC Odds | College Football Playoff Odds |
💵 Best college football betting sites
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