College football returns Saturday with four Week 0 games worth watching, headlined by Memphis at UNLV at 10 p.m. ET on FOX. Dan Mullen's Rebels open Year 2 against a Memphis team making its debut under Charles Huff.
Here's how to watch the Week 0 slate, plus the biggest storylines for North Carolina vs. TCU in Dublin, No. 14 USC's opener and the season's first ACC matchup.
College Football Week 0 Top Games Schedule Memphis at UNLV College football's first FOX game of 2026 gets the late window in Las Vegas. Memphis and UNLV have never met, giving Week 0 a fresh matchup between programs with new-era expectations. Charles Huff makes his Memphis debut opposite Dan Mullen, who begins his second season at UNLV.
Rebels running back Jai'Den "Jet" Thomas enters the year as the Mountain West's preseason all-conference selection at his position. The game also marks UNLV's first regular-season appearance on FOX. Other Big College Football Games North Carolina vs.
TCU Week 0 opens overseas with the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. It is the first international game in North Carolina history and TCU's first game outside the United States. The matchup also gives the teams a second consecutive season-opening meeting.
North Carolina running back Demon June arrives on the Doak Walker Award preseason watch list. TCU counters with safety Jamel Johnson, a Bednarik Award watch-list selection who gives the Horned Frogs a proven playmaker on the back end. San Jose State at No.
14 USC USC is the only AP-ranked team in this four-game guide, opening at No. 14 in the preseason poll. The Trojans begin at home against a San Jose State team led by Ken Niumatalolo.
Quarterback Jayden Maiava enters the season with Big Ten preseason honors and control of the USC offense. San Jose State gets an immediate national-stage test before moving into the rest of its September schedule. NC State at Virginia The first ACC game of the season stayed in Week 0 after receiving an NCAA waiver, even after the matchup moved from Rio de Janeiro to Charlottesville.
It will be the 1,400th game in Virginia football history. NC State quarterback CJ Bailey enters the year as a team captain and a Walter Camp and Maxwell Award watch-list selection. Virginia linebacker Kam Robinson is the only returning semifinalist from the 2025 Butkus Award field.
How to Watch College Football Week 0 Memphis at UNLV airs on FOX at 10 p.m. ET and is simulcast on FOX One and FOXSports.com. It is the only FOX broadcast-network game in this curated Week 0 guide, so there is no overlapping regionalized FOX window to navigate.
The two ESPN matchups are available through ESPN's current direct-to-consumer offering and supported providers. The linked FOX One / ESPN Bundle calls to action direct readers to the current bundle page. San Jose State at USC airs on NBC and streams on Peacock.
Subscriptions, authentication requirements and availability can vary by service, plan and location. Check your provider and local listings before kickoff because college football schedules remain subject to change.
