The college football schedule for 2025 begins with Week Zero action on Saturday, Aug. 23. A total of nine games are on the slate, which is up from seven 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 17.12.4, Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams cannot play their first contest until the Thursday preceding Labor Day, which is August 28 this season. Beginning in 2016, an exception to this rule was added (Bylaw 17.12.4.1) 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 Stanford Cardinal in Week Zero (Saturday, Aug. 23) at the Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game will kickoff at 7:30pm ET (1:30pm Hawaii time) and it will be televised live by CBS and streamed via Paramount+.
Three other matchups have been scheduled for Week Zero since three of the involved teams — Portland State, Fresno State, and Sam Houston — each play in Hawaii this season. Portland State hosts Tarleton State (4:30pm ET, ESPN2), Fresno State travels to face Kansas (6:30pm ET, FOX), and Sam Houston visits Western Kentucky (7:00pm ET, CBSSN).
UNLV also hosts Idaho State on Saturday (4:00pm ET, SSSEN/MWN). This game was moved to Week Zero following an issue with the availability of Allegiant Stadium on the originally scheduled date of Sept. 13. A waiver to move the game was approved by the NCAA.
A second exception, Bylaw 17.12.4.2, 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 2025 season, two contests involving FCS teams meet that qualification and are scheduled for Week Zero — UC Davis vs. Mercer (7:00pm ET, ESPN; in Montgomery, AL) and North Carolina Central vs. Southern (7:30pm ET, ABC; in Atlanta, Ga.).
UIW at Nicholls will also be played in Week Zero (1:00pm ET, ESPN2). This is a Southland Conference game and not a non-conference contest, so a waiver must have been approved.
A third exception, Bylaw 17.12.4.3, 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 Big 12 Conference foes Kansas State and Iowa State. The game will be played at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, and it will be televised by ESPN at noon ET.
Beginning with the 2026 season, an NCAA rule change will go into effect that will allow all FCS teams to begin their seasons in Week Zero. Specifically, the new rule will state that “…an FCS institution shall not play its first contest with outside competition prior to the Thursday that is 13 weeks prior to the FCS Championship Selection date.” This change was made due to the NCAA also allowing FCS teams to play 12-game schedules each season beginning in 2026.
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 17.12.6.1. However, Bylaw 17.12.6.2.1 (f) permits any football games played in Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico to not count against the maximum number of contests.
For the 2025 college football season, no schools will take advantage of the Hawaii Exemption. That means every FBS team will play a 12-game regular-season schedule.
2025 College Football Schedule | Week Zero
* All times Eastern.
Kansas State vs. Iowa State (Ireland) – 12pm, ESPN
UIW at Nicholls – 1pm, ESPN2
Idaho State at UNLV – 4pm, SSSEN/MWN
Tarleton State at Portland State – 4:30pm, ESPN2
Fresno State at Kansas – 6:30pm, FOX
UC Davis vs. Mercer (Montgomery, AL) – 7pm, ESPN
Sam Houston at WKU – 7pm, CBSSN
NC Central vs. Southern (in Atl) – 7:30pm, ABC/ESPN3
Stanford at Hawaii – 7:30pm, CBS/Paramount+
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Football Schedules
College Football Schedule (FBS only)
FCS Schedule (FCS only)
College Football TV Schedule (FBS and FCS)
UIW @ Nicholls at 12 PM local time in August?! I’ll be shocked if there’s more than 2,000 people in attendance.
Also, Portland is expected to reach triple digits on Saturday, I wouldn’t expect more than 1,000 people to attend that one at 1:30 PM local time.
Also, I’m kind of surprised that Idaho State @ UNLV is not on national linear tv, especially considering that all other games involving FCS team this weekend are. I thought FS1 or CBSSN would have picked it up.
Unlv game was moved from its original date to accommodate a boxing event. Might be stuck on its original TV.
Game can be watched for free on mwc website or app.
Scott, most people would prefer to watch live sports on a tv, not a computer or a phone.
Although it seems like it’s available on channel 5.2 in the Las Vegas area.
The Idaho St./UNLV game is NOT being played this weekend due to the Hawaii exemption. It is being played this weekend because UNLV lost access to Allegiant Stadium on the date it was originally scheduled. They appealed to the NCAA to allow them to move the game to this Saturday.
In fairness to Kevin he reported on it previously:
https://fbschedules.com/2025-idaho-state-at-unlv-football-game-moved-to-week-zero/
Kevin responded to you, but he’s still incorrect.
UNLV is going to play Hawaii this season, but they’re playing at UNLV. The waiver is for teams that play in Hawaii…
So the UNLV – Idaho State game is only being moved because of the Boxing Match set-up in their stadium during the previously scheduled game day.
Yes, this is correct. I thought UNLV played in Hawaii but they host this season.
UIW/Nicholls not a “non-conference” game and neither play Hawaii.
How does that qualify?
FCS games can be in Week 0 if they’re on national tv, which will be the case with UIW/Nicholls.
They must have applied for and received a waiver. Next year it changes to any opponent for FCS teams.
My guess is that they took advantage of the Southland adding UTRGV to the conference to move a game here. In the past, teams have been granted waivers when their conference membership has had a change to facilitate last-minute schedule changes.