College Football

Previewing Week 1 of college football: Ranked matchups, full schedule, how to watch

After a handful of games in Week 0, all 25 ranked teams are in action for Week 1, which begins Thursday.

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College football is finally back.

After a busy offseason, players across the nation will return to the field this week. Between conference realignment, big-name coaches on the move and an expanded playoff field, the 2024 season will be unlike any other.

It all started with Week 0, where select teams played last weekend. Now, it's time for the real thing with the rest of the nation in action for Week 1.

Here's all the info about the start of the 2024 season:

When does the 2024 college football season start?

The 2024 college football season technically began with Week 0 on Saturday, Aug. 24.

But the vast majority of programs will kick off their season with Week 1, which runs from Thursday, Aug. 29 through Monday, Sept. 2. Most action will take place of Saturday, Sept. 1, when 67 games involving Division I FBS teams will be played.

What channel is college football on TV in Week 1?

All 25 teams in the preseason AP college football rankings will play in Week 1. There will be three ranked matchups, including No. 1 Georgia hosting No. 14 Clemson at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Here's the full TV schedule for the ranked teams:

Thursday, Aug. 29

  • Western Carolina vs. No. 24 NC State, 7 p.m. ET, ACC Network
  • Murray State vs. No. 11 Missouri, 8 p.m. ET, SEC Network
  • Lindenwood vs. No. 22 Kansas, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+
  • Southern Utah vs. No. 12 Utah, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Friday, Aug. 30

  • Temple vs. No. 16 Oklahoma, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

Saturday, Aug. 31

  • No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 1 Georgia, 12 pm. ET, ABC
  • No. 8 Penn State vs. West Virginia, 12 p.m. ET, FOX
  • Illinois State vs. No. 25 Iowa, 12 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
  • Chattanooga vs. No. 15 Tennessee, 12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network
  • South Dakota State vs. No. 17 Oklahoma State, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+
  • Akron vs. No. 2 Ohio State, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
  • Colorado State vs. No. 4 Texas, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
  • No. 19 Miami vs. Florida, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
  • Western Kentucky vs. No. 5 Alabama, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
  • Furman vs. No. 6 Ole Miss, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
  • UT Martin vs. No. 18 Kansas State, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
  • Idaho vs. No. 3 Oregon, 7:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
  • No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 20 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
  • Fresno State vs. No. 9 Michigan, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock
  • New Mexico vs. No. 21 Arizona, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Sunday, Sept. 1

  • No. 23 USC vs. No. 13 LSU, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Monday, Sept. 2

  • Boston College vs. No. 10 Florida State, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
NBC Sports lead college football insider Nicole Auerbach shares her thoughts on whether the Michigan Wolverines can maintain their championship form heading into the 2024 season.

Where is College GameDay Week 1?

ESPN's College GameDay will be in College Station for Week 1, where Texas A&M will host Notre Dame in a highly-anticipated ranked matchup.

What are the college football TV schedule and times in 2024?

College football will air on a number of major networks this season, including NBC, ABC, FOX and CBS. The schedule varies from week to week, but NBC has announced its Big Ten and Notre Dame matchups for the first three weeks of the season:

WEEK 1

  • Fresno State at Michigan (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock)

WEEK 2

  • Rhode Island at Minnesota (12 p.m. ET, Peacock)
  • Northern Illinois at Notre Dame (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock)
  • Colorado at Nebraska (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock)
  • Boise State at Oregon (10 p.m. ET, Peacock)

WEEK 3

  • Central Michigan at Illinois (12 p.m. ET, Peacock)
  • Washington State at Washington (3:30 p.m. ET, Peacock)
  • Indiana at UCLA (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock)
NBC Sports lead college football insider Nicole Auerbach shares her prediction for the Big Ten football championship game, along with insights from her visits to Oregon and Ohio State.

When does Colorado play in Week 1?

Year 2 of the Deion Sanders era will get underway on Thursday night.

Coach Prime and Colorado will host North Dakota State in Boulder on Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Buffaloes are unranked entering the season after going 4-8 last season, but stars Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter will return.

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