The 2023 college football schedule kicks off with Week Zero on Saturday, Aug. 26. A total of 10 contests are on the docket, which includes eight in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and two in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
Week Zero action begins with the 13th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish taking on the Navy Midshipmen in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. The game will be televised by NBC and streamed by Peacock at 2:30pm ET.
One hour later, the North Alabama Lions battle the Mercer Bears in the FCS Kickoff at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. ESPN will televise the contest at 3:30pm ET.
Six contests are slated to kickoff in early evening slots through primetime slots — UTEP at Jacksonville State (5:30pm ET), Fordham at UAlbany (7:00pm ET), UMass at New Mexico State (7:00pm ET), Ohio at San Diego State (7:00pm ET), and Hawaii at Vanderbilt (7:30pm ET).
For the first time in the event’s 18-year history, the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge will be televised in primetime by ABC at 7:30pm ET. The game features the Jackson State Tigers and South Carolina State Bulldogs squaring off at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta, Ga.
At 8:00pm ET, the sixth-ranked USC Trojans and Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams host the San Jose State Spartans at 8:00pm ET. The game will be televised by the Pac-12 Network, which might be difficult for many fans to view.
The 2023 Week Zero slate comes to a close when the FIU Panthers travel to face the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at 9:00pm ET.
For information on how teams get to play in Week Zero, check out our article from earlier this week titled College football schedule 2023: The Hawaii Exemption and Week Zero.
Check out the complete TV schedule for Week Zero below.
College Football Schedule 2023 | Week Zero
* All times Eastern.
Navy vs. Notre Dame (Ireland) – 2:30pm, NBC/Peacock
N. Alabama vs. Mercer (Montgomery) – 3:30pm, ESPN
UTEP at Jacksonville State – 5:30pm, CBSSN
Fordham at UAlbany – 7:00pm, FloSports
UMass at New Mexico State – 7:00pm, ESPN
Ohio at San Diego State – 7:00pm, FS1
Hawaii at Vanderbilt – 7:30pm, SECN
Jackson State vs SC State (Atlanta) – 7:30pm, ABC
San Jose State at USC – 8:00pm, P12N
FIU at Louisiana Tech – 9:00pm, CBSSN
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Football Schedules
- College Football Schedule (FBS only)
- FCS Schedule (FCS only)
- College Football TV Schedule (FBS and FCS)