Week 0 is one of those quirks that makes college football special. The season’s Week 1 start traditionally came during the first Saturday before Labor Day, but over the last decade the schedule has placed more of an emphasis on offering a smaller slate of games the week before.
These games’ placement at the end of August — something of a dead spot on the sports calendar — makes them a perfect appetizer for the season to come. This year will mark the fifth consecutive season that kicks off with a game in Dublin, Ireland, which makes for a fun wrinkle in the first college football action in months.
Read on for a full rundown of the Week 0 schedule as college football makes its return.
When does the 2026 College Football season start?
The 2026 college football season kicks off on Saturday, August 29, with a slate of games that features San Jose State vs. USC on NBC and Peacock.
How to watch San Jose State vs. USC:
- When: Saturday, Aug. 29
- Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California
- Time: Live coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: NBC
- Live Stream: Peacock
2026 College Football Week 0 Schedule:
*All times are listed as ET
Saturday, August 29:
North Carolina vs. TCU (in Dublin, Ireland), 12 p.m., ESPN
San Jose State at USC, 3 p.m., NBC and Peacock
North Carolina State at Virginia, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Jacksonville State at North Dakota State, 5:30 p.m., CBSSN
Sacramento State at Eastern Michigan, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
Hawai’i at Stanford, 7 p.m., ACC Network
New Mexico State at Florida State, 7 p.m., The CW
Memphis at UNLV, 10 p.m., Fox
2026 College Football Schedule on NBC & Peacock
| Week | Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform(s) |
|---|
| 0 | Sat., Aug. 29 | 2:30 p.m. | San Jose State at USC | NBC, Peacock |
| 1 | Thurs., Sept. 3 | 8 p.m. | Eastern Illinois at Minnesota | Peacock |
| 1 | Sat., Sept. 5 | 7:30 p.m. | Western Michigan at Michigan | NBC, Peacock |
| 1 | Sun., Sept. 6 | 4 p.m. | Washington State at Washington | NBC, Peacock |
| 1 | Sun., Sept. 6 | 7:30 p.m. | Wisconsin at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
| 2 | Sat., Sept. 12 | 3:30 p.m. | Rice at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
| 2 | Sat., Sept. 12 | 7:30 p.m. | Iowa State at Iowa | NBC, Peacock |
| 3 | Sat., Sept. 19 | 12:30 p.m. | Eastern Michigan at Wisconsin | Peacock |
| 3 | Sat., Sept. 19 | 2 p.m. | Southern Illinois at Illinois | Peacock |
| 3 | Sat., Sept. 19 | 4 p.m. | Western Kentucky at Indiana | Peacock |
| 3 | Sat., Sept. 19 | 7:30 p.m. | Michigan State at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
| 6 | Sat., Oct. 10 | 3:30 p.m. | Stanford at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
| 10 | Sat., Nov. 7 | 7:30 p.m. | Miami at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
| 11 | Sat., Nov. 14 | 3:30 p.m. | Boston College at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
| 12 | Sat., Nov. 21 | 7:30 p.m. | SMU at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
| 13 | Fri. Nov. 27 | 7:30 p.m. | Minnesota at Wisconsin | NBC, Peacock |
*Big Ten schedule will be continually updated throughout the season
How do I watch Big Ten Saturday Night?
If you have access to NBC via your TV provider, you can watch Big Ten Saturday Night on your TV or with a TV provider login on the NBC Sports app, NBC app, or via NBCSports.com. Check your local listings to find your NBC channel. If you can’t find NBC in your channel lineup, please contact your TV provider.
If you don’t have access to NBC via your TV provider, you can stream Big Ten Saturday Night on Peacock. Sign up here.
What devices does Peacock support?
You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices.
What if I already signed up for Peacock?
If you’ve already followed the steps to create your new Peacock account, and you added a password, you can now Sign In with that email and password on all your supported devices. If you never set your password, or don’t remember it, reset it now.
To upgrade your plan, Sign In to Peacock, go to your Account, then go to Plans and Payments, then go to “Change Plan”.
