The 2024 college football schedule begins with Week Zero action on Saturday, Aug. 24. A total of seven games are on the slate, which is down from 10 games last season.
Week Zero is the unofficial name for the weekend of college football games that are played on the Saturday prior to Labor Day weekend. It’s named Week Zero because it falls one week before the majority of college football teams play their first games in Week 1.
Per NCAA Bylaw 17.11.4, Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams cannot play their first contest until the Thursday preceding Labor Day, which is August 29 this season. Beginning in 2016, an exception to this rule was added (Bylaw 17.11.4.1) that allows Hawaii and teams that play in Hawaii, plus their opponents, the option to play one week earlier on the Saturday before Labor Day weekend.
This season, the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors will host the Delaware State Hornets in Week Zero at the Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game will kickoff at midnight Eastern (6:00pm Hawaii time) and live video will be available via Spectrum PPV in Hawaii and on the Team1Sports app on the mainland.
Two other matchups have been scheduled for Week Zero since two of the involved teams — New Mexico and Nevada — play Hawaii this season. New Mexico hosts Montana State (4:00pm ET, FS1) and Nevada hosts SMU (8:00pm ET, CBSSN).
A second exception, Bylaw 17.11.4.2, also provides FCS schools with another opportunity to play in Week Zero. In order for FCS schools to qualify, they must play a nationally televised contest (broadcast or cable; not Internet only) against a non-conference opponent.
For the 2024 season, three contests involving FCS teams meet that qualification and are scheduled for Week Zero — McNeese at Tarleton (3:30pm ET, ESPN2), North Alabama vs. Southeast Missouri (7:00pm ET, ESPN; in Montgomery, AL), and Florida A&M vs. Norfolk State (7:30pm ET, ABC; in Atlanta, Ga.).
Another exception, Bylaw 17.11.4.3, provides schools the opportunity to play in Week Zero if the contest is played in a foreign country. One matchup meets that criteria this season — the Aer Lingus College Football Classic featuring Florida State vs. Georgia Tech. The game will be played at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, and it will be televised by ESPN at noon ET.
Another NCAA rule, commonly known as the Hawaii Exemption, allows Hawaii and teams that play in Hawaii the opportunity to schedule a 13th regular-season game. This helps those schools earn an extra guarantee payment, ticket revenue, etc., to offset the larger cost of traveling between the continental United States and the island of Oahu in Hawaii.
FBS teams can play a maximum of 12 regular-season games each year, per Bylaw 17.11.6.1. However, Bylaw 17.11.6.2.1 (f) permits any football games played in Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico to not count against the maximum number of contests.
For the 2024 college football season, only Nevada will take advantage of the Hawaii Exemption. Below are the details:
The Nevada Wolf Pack will play 13 games during the 2024 regular-season. Nevada opens the season in Week Zero at home against SMU before traveling to face Troy on Aug. 31. The Wolf Pack then return home to host Georgia Southern on Sept. 7 before hitting the road again to face Minnesota on Sept. 14. The Wolf Pack wrap up their non-conference slate on Sept. 21 at home against Eastern Washington.
In Mountain West action, Nevada will host Fresno State, Colorado State, and Air Force and will visit San Jose State, Hawaii, Boise State, and UNLV. The Wolf Pack will also host Oregon State as part of a scheduling agreement between the Mountain West and Pac-12.
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors often play a 13-game regular-season schedule, but will only play 12 games this season. That’s partly due to Oregon canceling their contest with the Rainbow Warriors that was slated to be played in Week Zero.
2024 College Football Schedule | Week Zero
* All times Eastern.
Florida State vs. Georgia Tech (in Ireland) – Noon, ESPN
McNeese at Tarleton State – 3:30pm, ESPN2
Montana State at New Mexico – 4:00pm, FS1
North Alabama vs. SEMO (in Montgomery, AL) – 7:00pm, ESPN
FAMU vs. Norfolk St. (in Atlanta) – 7:30pm, ABC/ESPN3/ESPN+
SMU at Nevada – 8:00pm, CBSSN
Delaware St. at Hawaii – 11:59pm, Spectrum PPV/Team1Sports
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Football Schedules
- 2024 College Football Schedule (FBS only)
- 2024 FCS Schedule (FCS only)
- College Football TV Schedule (FBS and FCS)