ESPN has finalized its Week Zero college football TV schedule for the 2026 season, which includes a total of nine games set for broadcast on linear networks.
ESPN opens its coverage of the 2026 college football season on Friday, August 28, with an FCS matchup as Idaho visits Cal Poly in a Big Sky Conference clash. Kickoff is set for 10:00pm ET / 7:00pm PT on ESPN.
The action continues on Saturday, August 29, beginning at noon ET / 11:00am CT with the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, where North Carolina meets TCU on ESPN.
At 3:00pm ET / 2:00pm CT, Southern faces Alabama State in the Birmingham Football Classic at Legion Field on ESPNU. Thirty minutes later, Virginia hosts NC State in an ACC showdown on ESPN, accompanied by an All‑22 secondary viewing option on ACC Network.
The evening slate begins at 7:00pm ET / 6:00pm CT with Mercer hosting East Texas A&M in the FCS Kickoff on ESPN. Also at 7:00pm ET, Hawaii travels to Stanford, with coverage on the ACC Network.
At 7:30pm ET / 6:30pm CT, the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge takes center stage on ESPN as Alabama A&M meets Howard at Center Park Stadium in Atlanta.
Saturday’s schedule concludes with another FCS matchup: Tarleton State hosting Prairie View A&M at 9:00pm ET / 8:00pm CT on ESPN2.
ESPN’s Week Zero coverage wraps on Sunday, August 30, with the Red Tails Classic in Montgomery, Ala., featuring Division II West Alabama taking on Tuskegee.
Below is the complete ESPN college football television schedule for Week Zero of the 2026 season, including announcer assignments.
2026 ESPN College Football TV Schedule | Week Zero
* All times Eastern.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28
Idaho at Cal Poly – 10pm, ESPN
Roxy Bernstein, Dave Clawson, Madison Hock
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29
Aer Lingus College Football Classic
North Carolina vs. TCU (Dublin, Ireland) – Noon, ESPN
Mike Monaco, Jordan Rodgers, Dana Boyle
Birmingham Football Classic
Southern vs. Alabama State (in Birmingham) – 3pm, ESPNU
Troy Clardy, Forrest Conoly
NC State at Virginia – 3:30pm, ESPN/ACC Network
Wes Durham, Max Browne, Madison Fitzpatrick
FCS Kickoff
East Texas A&M at Mercer – 7pm, ESPN
Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman, Laura Stickells
Hawai’i at Stanford – 7pm, ACC Network
Jorge Sedano, Rodney McLeod, Kendra Douglas
Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff
Alabama A&M vs. Howard (Atlanta, Ga) – 7:30pm, ABC
Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker, Quint Kessenich
Prairie View A&M at Tarleton State – 9pm, ESPN2
Ted Emrich, Fozzy Whittaker
SUNDAY, AUGUST 30
Red Tails Classic
West Alabama vs. Tuskegee (Montgomery, Ala.) – 8pm, ESPN2
Jason Ross Jr, Tyoka Jackson
Football Schedules
- College Football Schedule (FBS only)
- College Football TV Schedule (FBS & FCS)
- FCS Schedule (FCS only)
View Comments (2)
Love the Idaho-Cal Poly game---to kick things up. Both are solid FCS teams.
Hawaii is always interesting---their bowl game win vs Cal last year might have been the best bowl game of them all.
All the bottom level talent you would think they would use 1 top level broadcast team for the Ireland game