Week 1 of the 2025 college football season is set to deliver a loaded opening weekend, headlined by a high-profile Texas at Ohio State showdown and a key non-conference clash between Alabama and Florida State. College GameDay will be in the spotlight for the Ohio State–Texas game, signaling the excitement surrounding an action-packed slate across Thursday through Monday. Here is the complete Week 1 schedule.
Thursday, Aug. 28
– Boise State at South Florida, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
– Ohio at Rutgers, 6 p.m., Big Ten Network
– Lafayette at Bowling Green, 6 p.m., ESPN App
– East Carolina at NC State, 7 p.m., ACC Network
– Jacksonville State at UCF, 7 p.m., ESPN App
– Delaware State at Delaware, 7 p.m., ESPN App
– Saint Francis at UL Monroe, 7 p.m., ESPN App
– Wyoming at Akron, 7 p.m., ESPN App
– Central Arkansas at Missouri, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network
– Elon at Duke, 7:30 p.m., ESPN App/ACC Network
– UT Martin at Oklahoma State, 7:30 p.m., ESPN App
– Buffalo at Minnesota, 8 p.m., Fox Sports 1
– Stephen F. Austin at Houston, 8 p.m., ESPN App
– Alabama State at UAB, 8:30 p.m., ESPN App
– Nebraska at Cincinnati, 9 p.m., ESPN
– Miami (OH) at Wisconsin, 9 p.m., Big Ten Network
– Stony Brook at San Diego State, 10 p.m., TBD
Friday, Aug. 29
– Tarleton State at Army, 6 p.m., CBS Sports Network
– Western Michigan at Michigan State, 7 p.m., Fox Sports 1
– Kennesaw State at Wake Forest, 7 p.m., ACC Network
– App State at Charlotte, 7 p.m., ESPNU
– Bethune-Cookman at Florida International, 7 p.m., ESPN App
– Western Illinois at Illinois, 7:30 p.m., Peacock
– Wagner at Kansas, 7:30 p.m., ESPN App
– Auburn at Baylor, 8 p.m., FOX
– Georgia Tech at Colorado, 8 p.m., ESPN
– UNLV at Sam Houston, 9:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
– Central Michigan at San Jose State, 10:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1
Saturday, Aug. 30
– Texas at Ohio State, 12 p.m., FOX
– Syracuse at Tennessee, 12 p.m., ABC
– Mississippi State at Southern Miss, 12 p.m., ESPN
– Florida Atlantic at Maryland, 12 p.m., Big Ten Network
– Ball State at Purdue, 12 p.m., Big Ten Network
– Northwestern at Tulane, 12 p.m., ESPNU
– Duquesne at Pittsburgh, 12 p.m., ACC Network
– VMI at Navy, 12 p.m., CBS Sports Network
– Merrimack at Kent State, 12 p.m., ESPN App
– Toledo at Kentucky, 12:45 p.m., SEC Network
– Fordham at Boston College, 2 p.m., ESPN App/ACC Network
– Robert Morris at West Virginia, 2 p.m., ESPN Network
– Central Connecticut at UConn, 2 p.m., TBD
– Old Dominion at Indiana, 2:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1
– Eastern Kentucky at Louisville, 3 p.m., ACC Network
– Nevada at Penn State, 3:30 p.m., CBS/Paramount
– Marshall at Georgia, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
– Alabama at Florida State, 3:30 p.m., ABC
– South Dakota at Iowa State, 3:30 p.m., FOX
– Bucknell at Air Force, 3:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
– Temple at Massachusetts, 3:30 p.m., ESPN App
– Holy Cross at Northern Illinois, 3:30 p.m., ESPN App
– Montana State at Oregon, 4 p.m., Big Ten Network
– Maine at Liberty, 4 p.m., ESPN App
– Alabama A&M at Arkansas, 4:15 p.m., SEC Network
– Chattanooga at Memphis, 4:30 p.m., ESPN App
– Illinois State at Oklahoma, 6 p.m., ESPN App/SEC Network
– UAlbany at Iowa, 6 p.m., Fox Sports 1
– Coastal Carolina at Virginia, 6 p.m., ACC Network
– Weber State at James Madison, 6 p.m., ESPN App
– Long Island University at Florida, 7 p.m., ESPN App/SEC Network
– North Dakota at Kansas State, 7 p.m., ESPN App
– UTEP at Texas A&M, 7 p.m., ESPN
– Charleston Southern at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m., ESPN App/SEC Network
– Austin Peay at Middle Tennessee, 7 p.m., ESPN App
– North Alabama at Western Kentucky, 7 p.m., ESPN App
– Southeast Missouri State at Arkansas State, 7 p.m., ESPN App
– Morgan State at South Alabama, 7 p.m., ESPN App
– Nicholls at Troy, 7 p.m., ESPN App
– LSU at Clemson, 7:30 p.m., ABC
– New Mexico at Michigan, 7:30 p.m., NBC/Peacock
– Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Texas Tech, 7:30 p.m., ESPN App
– Missouri State at USC, 7:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
– SE Louisiana at Louisiana Tech, 7:30 p.m., ESPN App
– UTEP at Utah State, 7:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
– Georgia State at Ole Miss, 7:45 p.m., SEC Network
– Portland State at BYU, 8 p.m., ESPN App
– Rice at Louisiana, 8 p.m., ESPN App
– Eastern Michigan at Texas State, 8 p.m., ESPN App
– Lamar at North Texas, 8 p.m., ESPN App
– Abilene Christian at Tulsa, 8 p.m., ESPN App
– East Texas A&M at SMU, 9 p.m., ACC Network
– Bryant at New Mexico State, 9 p.m., ESPN App
– Georgia Southern at Fresno State, 9:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1
– Northern Arizona at Arizona State, 10 p.m., ESPN App
– Idaho at Washington State, 10 p.m., CW Network
– California at Oregon State, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
– Hawaii at Arizona, 10:30 p.m., TNT/HBO Max
– Utah at UCLA, 11 p.m., FOX
– Colorado State at Washington, 11 p.m., BTN
Sunday, Aug. 31
– Virginia Tech at South Carolina, 3 p.m., ESPN
– Notre Dame at Miami, 7:30 p.m., ABC
Monday, Sept. 1
– TCU at North Carolina, 8 p.m., ESPN/ESPNU
For more college football updates, check out the ESPN hub page for scores, rankings, standings, stats and more.
Key takeaways and context
– The weekend centers around a marquee pairing: Texas at Ohio State, a battle that could shape early-season College Football Playoff conversations.
– Alabama vs. Florida State provides a high-profile non-conference test that will set the tone for both programs’ seasons.
– The slate mixes Power Five non-conference tests with a broad array of Week 1 games, including several late-night and primetime showdowns that should offer early-week excitement and potential sleepers.
Summary
Week 1 offers a robust opening to the 2025 season, featuring top-tier matchups, marquee programs making statements, and a broad mix of games across days and time slots. The results could have immediate implications for rankings, conference narratives, and early momentum as teams chase a championship run.
Optional note
This season looks primed for unpredictability, with many programs bringing strong depth and proven coaching, setting the stage for an opening weekend full of compelling football and potential upsets.