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CFP contenders and non-conference clashes headline ESPN's industry-leading, early-season college football schedule reveal at Disney Upfront
· Week 0 kicks off with global games in Ireland and Brazil, plus Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff in Atlanta
· Labor Day Weekend packed with premium presentations, including Lane Kiffin's LSU debut vs. Clemson on ABC Saturday Night Football
· Early season primetime ABC SNF showdowns include Ohio State at Texas and LSU at Ole Miss
· Rivalry Week returns with Thanksgiving and Black Friday clashes
ESPN unveiled a series of key games from its industry-leading 2026 college football schedule during The Walt Disney Company's Upfront presentation today in New York City, revealing a dynamic slate of early season showcases, premier conference matchups and iconic rivalries across ABC and ESPN. Nine of ESPN.com's Way-Too-Early Top 25 are featured in the schedule release, including No. 1 Ohio State, No. 5 Texas, No. 7 Miami, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 11 LSU. College GameDay Built by The Home Depot also announced its first three stops of the season at the Javits Center, with full details here.
Week 0: The Wild World of College Football
The 2026 season opens on a global stage, as ESPN networks present college football from Ireland and Brazil, in addition to one of the sport's most celebrated HBCU traditions in Atlanta:
· Saturday, Aug. 29 kicks off with the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland as Bill Belichick's North Carolina Tar Heels face No. 23 TCU (Noon ET, ESPN).
· Later that day, NC State meets Virginia in the inaugural College Football Brasil game (3:30 p.m., ESPN) from Rio de Janeiro, marking another milestone in the sport's international growth and featuring ACC teams in a conference clash.
· The evening concludes with the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff (7:30 p.m., ABC), as Alabama A&M faces Howard in Atlanta, continuing a celebrated tradition spotlighting Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Labor Day Weekend slated for statement start
Labor Day Weekend on ESPN and ABC features a powerhouse lineup filled with ranked teams, traditional powers and high stakes showcases.
The action begins Thursday night as Colorado visits Georgia Tech (Sept. 3, 8 p.m., ESPN), as Buffs head coach Deion Sanders returns to Atlanta where 'Coach Prime' once starred for both the hometown Braves and Falcons. The following night features a premier Friday matchup with No. 7 Miami traveling west to face ACC foe Stanford (Sept. 4, 9 p.m., ESPN). The Hurricanes enter the 2026-27 season with ACC and CFP title aspirations after an appearance in last year's National Championship game.
Saturday's lineup on ABC delivers wall-to-wall marquee matchups:
· No. 16 Alabama opens its season against East Carolina (Noon), as the Crimson Tide aim to return to SEC and CFP contention.
· The Aflac Kickoff Game in Atlanta features Baylor and Auburn (3:30 p.m.), an early-season test for programs looking to make statements in their respective conferences.
· In primetime, Clemson visits No. 11 LSU (7:30 p.m.) in an ABC Saturday Night Football Presented by Capital One showdown, as Lane Kiffin makes his LSU head coaching debut under the lights in Baton Rouge in the Tiger-vs-Tiger tussle.
The weekend continues with back-to-back nights of high-octane showcases:
· Sunday night (Sept. 6, 7:30 p.m., ABC) features No. 21 Louisville vs. No. 9 Ole Miss in Nashville at the inaugural Liberty Mutual Music City Kickoff. Ole Miss advanced to last season's CFP semifinals, while Louisville continues its rise in the ACC.
· Labor Day Monday (Sept. 7, 7:30 p.m., ESPN) caps the weekend with No. 22 SMU traveling to Florida State for an ACC conference clash.
Heavyweight showdowns set for ABC Saturday Night Football Presented by Capital One
The momentum continues through September with one of the biggest games of the season in Week 2, as No. 1 Ohio State faces No. 5 Texas in Austin (Sept. 12, 7:30 p.m., ABC). Both programs are fresh off strong 2025 seasons, with CFP expectations once again in focus.
Week 3 features another Saturday Night Football clash between No. 11 LSU and No. 9 Ole Miss (Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m., ABC). Already a spirited SEC rivalry, this matchup will be the focus of the college football world as Kiffin returns to Oxford to face his former team for the first time since departing for LSU in December during last season's Playoff.
Rivalry Week to showcase some of the sport's best traditions
ESPN networks close the regular season with a compelling set of rivalry matchups across Thanksgiving night and Black Friday in Week 13:
· No. 23 TCU at No. 8 Texas Tech (Nov. 26, 8 p.m. ESPN), a Thanksgiving showdown between Big 12 title-contenders.
· The 123rd Egg Bowl between Mississippi State and No. 9 Ole Miss (Nov. 27, Noon, ABC) kicks off Thanksgiving Friday, as the Rebs look for their fourth straight win in the series.
· The Sunshine State Showdown featuring Florida at Florida State (Nov. 27, 3:30 p.m., ABC), renewing one of college football's most iconic rivalries.
· No. 5 Texas at No. 10 Texas A&M (Nov. 27, 7:30 p.m., ABC), a primetime Lone Star State clash featuring two projected top 10 teams with CFP aspirations.
Comprehensive conference championship slate set for ESPN networks
ABC will present the ACC, American, Big 12 and SEC Championship Games with ESPN delivering the MAC and Sun Belt title games the first weekend of December as ESPN networks conclude their signature coverage of conference action.
The Big 12 gets the ABC action started on Friday, Dec. 4, at 8 p.m., live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The ACC Championship Game will kick off Championship Saturday action from Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium at noon on Saturday, Dec. 5, followed by the SEC Championship Game at 4 p.m. from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and the American Championship Game live at 8 p.m. from a campus site to be determined.
On ESPN during Conference Championship Weekend, the Sun Belt Championship kicks off at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4. Saturday at noon, regular season MACtion concludes with the MAC Championship from Detroit on ESPN. On ESPN2, the SWAC Championship starts at 2 p.m. Saturday, with the winner advancing to the Celebration Bowl to face the MEAC champion.
Brands double down on college football with Disney
College football remains a premier platform for brands seeking to connect with passionate, highly engaged fans. The sport reached a new all-time high in total minutes watched, fueled by more college football windows than ever before.
For the 2025-26 season, Disney's college football portfolio attracted more than 400 advertisers, with 57% of returning advertisers increasing their year-over-year spend. Notably, sponsorship across college football is up year over year as well.
Meanwhile, College GameDay Built by The Home Depot remained one of the most in-demand properties in sports media, nearing a full sellout by October 2025. The program secured 132 advertisers overall, with 58% increasing budgets year over year.
From global openers and Labor Day Weekend showcases to primetime showdowns, renewed rivalries and conference championship clashes, ESPN networks will once again deliver an unmatched college football presentation throughout the 2026 season.
ESPN's traditional full early season and special date schedule will be released on Wednesday, May 27, with the Bowl Season schedule and the SEC times and windows for Weeks 4-13 slated for the following weeks.
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ESPN College Football - Disney Upfront Release
Date Time (ET) Game Network
Week 0
Sat, Aug 29 Noon Aer Lingus College Football Classic (Dublin, Ireland)
UNC vs. No. 23 TCU ESPN
3:30 p.m. College Football Brasil (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
NC State vs. Virginia ESPN
7:30 p.m. Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff (Atlanta)
Alabama A&M vs. Howard ABC
Week 1
Thu, Sep 3 8 p.m. Colorado at Georgia Tech ESPN
Fri, Sep 4 9 p.m. No. 7 Miami at Stanford ESPN
Sat, Sep 5 Noon East Carolina at No. 16 Alabama ABC
3:30 p.m. Aflac Kickoff Game (Atlanta)
Baylor vs. Auburn ABC
7:30 p.m. Clemson at No. 11 LSU* ABC
Sun, Sep 6 7:30 p.m. Liberty Mutual Music City Kickoff (Nashville, Tenn.)
No. 21 Louisville vs. No. 9 Ole Miss ABC
Mon, Sep 7 7:30 p.m. No. 22 SMU at Florida State ESPN
Week 2
Sat, Sep 12 7:30 p.m. No. 1 Ohio State at No. 5 Texas* ABC
Week 3
Sat, Sep 19 7:30 p.m. No. 11 LSU at No. 9 Ole Miss* ABC
Week 13
Thu, Nov 26 8 p.m. No. 23 TCU at No. 8 Texas Tech ESPN
Fri, Nov 27 Noon Mississippi State at No. 9 Ole Miss ABC
3:30 p.m. Florida at Florida State ABC
7:30 p.m. No. 5 Texas at No. 10 Texas A&M ABC
Week 14 (Champ Week)
Fri, Dec 4 7 p.m. Sun Belt Championship ESPN
8 p.m. Big 12 Championship (Arlington, Texas) ABC
Sat, Dec 5 Noon ACC Championship (Charlotte, NC) ABC
Noon MAC Championship (Detroit, Mich.) ESPN
2 p.m. SWAC Championship ESPN2
4 p.m. SEC Championship (Atlanta, Ga.) ABC
8 p.m. American Championship ABC
*ABC Saturday Night Football Presented by Capital One
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