College football 2026 season begins August 29 with Dublin opener

The 2026 college football season is set to begin on August 29 with a Week 0 slate of games. A primary highlight is the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland, featuring a matchup between North Carolina and TCU at Aviva Stadium. This game serves as a rematch of a previous meeting and marks an early opportunity for North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick to reset expectations following a 4-8 season.

Other Week 0 matchups include San Jose State at USC, NC State at Virginia, and several other contests involving programs such as Florida State and Stanford. As the season approaches, analysts are providing predictions and rankings. The USA TODAY Coaches Poll currently places Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia, Texas, and Notre Dame in the top five. ESPN analyst Sam Acho has identified Michigan as a potential underachiever due to a challenging schedule and coaching transitions, while Paul Finebaum has suggested that Notre Dame remains an underrated program despite losing star running backs to the NFL.