When does college football start 2026 is a question fans across the United States are asking as the new season approaches, and the answer is now clear: FCS football begins Thursday, August 27, while the 2026 FBS season officially starts Saturday, August 29.
The late-August opening gives fans an earlier return to meaningful college football than the traditional Labor Day weekend schedule suggests. The first FBS weekend includes nationally significant games, international matchups and several early-season showdowns.
For Mississippi fans, the opening is especially important. Alcorn State is scheduled to host Miles on Saturday, August 29, giving the state an in-state college football game during the opening FBS weekend. The Braves’ kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Central Time in Lorman.
Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Southern Miss will begin later, with their opening games scheduled for September 5 and September 6.
When Does the 2026 College Football Season Begin?
The 2026 college football calendar does not have one universal starting date because different levels of college football begin at different times.
FCS competition starts first on Thursday, August 27. The FBS regular season follows on Saturday, August 29. The NCAA’s current football schedule identifies August 29 as the start of the 2026 FBS season.
That distinction matters for fans searching for the first games of the year.
The earliest college football action arrives on August 27. However, fans who mainly follow major conference programs should mark August 29 on their calendars.
The FBS opening weekend features a much larger national audience and includes games involving programs from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and other conferences.
Why August 29 Is the Big Date for FBS Fans
August 29 represents the official opening of the FBS regular season.
The schedule begins with several games spread across the day. One of the most prominent matchups sends North Carolina and TCU to Dublin, Ireland.
That international game is scheduled to open the FBS weekend and gives the 2026 season a distinctive start.
Other Week Zero games include NC State against Virginia, Hawaii at Stanford, Sacramento State at Eastern Michigan and Memphis at UNLV. Alabama A&M also faces Howard in Atlanta.
The schedule provides plenty of options for fans who want college football before the larger September slate arrives.
It also means the sport’s return is not limited to one traditional Saturday afternoon window.
The First College Football Weekend in Mississippi
Mississippi has an important game on the opening FBS weekend.
Alcorn State is scheduled to host Miles on Saturday, August 29, at Jack Spinks–Marino Casem Stadium in Lorman.
The kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Central Time. The game is listed for SWAC TV coverage.
That makes Alcorn State’s opener one of the earliest opportunities for Mississippi fans to watch a college football game inside the state.
The Braves will not have to wait until September to begin their season.
Their opening matchup against Miles also gives fans an early look at the program before conference play and the rest of the schedule become more demanding.
Alcorn State is scheduled to follow the Miles game with a September 5 road contest against Southern Miss in Hattiesburg. That game is set for 4 p.m. Central Time.
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Alcorn State Starts Mississippi’s Opening Weekend
Alcorn State is the clearest answer for fans asking about an in-state college football game during the first FBS weekend.
The Braves will welcome Miles to Lorman on August 29.
The scheduled 6 p.m. kickoff gives the matchup a prominent evening slot. It also provides Mississippi with a home game while many of the nation’s biggest programs are still preparing for their openers.
Alcorn enters the season with its schedule already established. The Braves’ slate includes games against Southern Miss, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, North Alabama, Texas Southern, Grambling State, Arkansas Baptist, Prairie View A&M, Mississippi Valley State, Florida A&M, Southern and Jackson State.
The early game against Miles therefore serves as the first step in a full 2026 campaign.
Mississippi State Starts in September
Mississippi State will not participate in the August 29 FBS opening slate.
The Bulldogs are scheduled to begin their 2026 season Saturday, September 5, against ULM in Starkville.
The current official schedule lists a 6:30 p.m. Central Time kickoff.
That puts Mississippi State’s opener one week after the first FBS games.
For Bulldogs fans, September 5 will mark the beginning of the regular season. The home opener also gives Mississippi State an opportunity to start the campaign in front of its own supporters.
The September 5 date is part of a much busier college football weekend. By then, nearly the entire FBS landscape will be active.
Ole Miss Opens With Louisville in Nashville
Ole Miss has one of the most prominent opening games involving a Mississippi program.
The Rebels will face Louisville on Sunday, September 6, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
The game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Central Time and will air on ABC. It is the inaugural Music City Kickoff.
This means Ole Miss fans will have to wait beyond the first Saturday of the season.
The Sunday night setting gives the matchup a national spotlight. It also creates a different opening-weekend schedule for the Rebels compared with Mississippi State and Southern Miss.
Ole Miss defeated Louisville 43-24 in their previous meeting, which came in the 2021 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta. The 2026 matchup will therefore be the second meeting between the programs.
The Nashville location also makes the opener a major event for fans traveling from Mississippi and elsewhere across the Southeast.
Southern Miss Begins on September 5
Southern Miss will start its 2026 campaign on Saturday, September 5.
The Golden Eagles are scheduled to host Alcorn State in Hattiesburg.
The game is set for 4 p.m. Central Time and is listed for ESPN+ coverage.
That matchup gives Mississippi fans another important game during the first full September weekend.
It also creates an immediate connection between the opening weekend and the following week for Alcorn State.
The Braves first play Miles at home on August 29. One week later, they travel to Hattiesburg to meet Southern Miss.
That makes Alcorn State one of the Mississippi programs with the earliest start and one of the quickest transitions into another significant matchup.
What Happens During Week Zero?
Week Zero refers to the small group of games played before the main Week 1 schedule.
In 2026, the FBS Week Zero slate is concentrated around August 29.
The early schedule includes several nationally televised or streamed games. North Carolina and TCU will meet in Dublin, while NC State and Virginia are scheduled for an international matchup in Brazil.
Hawaii will travel to Stanford, while Memphis will visit UNLV.
The opening weekend also includes Sacramento State at Eastern Michigan and Alabama A&M against Howard.
These games help establish the first major college football weekend of the season before the schedule becomes much larger in September.
When Is the First Full College Football Weekend?
August 29 is the start of FBS football, but the sport becomes much busier during the first week of September.
Thursday, September 3 begins a much larger slate.
Friday, September 4 adds another group of games, followed by the large Saturday schedule on September 5.
That weekend is when most college football fans will see their favorite teams return.
The difference between August 29 and September 5 is therefore mostly one of scale.
The August 29 schedule is an early opening slate.
The September 3–5 period brings the broad national schedule that includes many more major programs.
2026 College Football Opening Dates
The important dates can be summarized simply:
- August 27: FCS football begins.
- August 29: FBS football begins.
- August 29: Alcorn State hosts Miles in Mississippi.
- September 3: The first Thursday of the larger FBS schedule.
- September 5: Mississippi State hosts ULM.
- September 5: Southern Miss hosts Alcorn State.
- September 6: Ole Miss faces Louisville in Nashville.
The dates give fans a clear timeline for the return of college football.
The first games arrive in late August, while the larger national schedule builds quickly in early September.
Why the 2026 Start Date Matters
The timing of the 2026 season is important because college football fans often associate the sport’s return with Labor Day weekend.
That tradition can make the official start date confusing.
In 2026, fans do not need to wait until Labor Day weekend to watch FBS football.
August 29 brings the first FBS games.
The early schedule also includes several high-profile matchups, giving the opening weekend plenty of national interest.
By September 5, the schedule becomes considerably larger, and Mississippi’s major FBS programs are also underway.
That makes late August the true beginning of the season, while the first week of September represents the point when the college football calendar reaches full speed.
What Mississippi Fans Should Know
Mississippi has a staggered opening schedule in 2026.
Alcorn State gets the earliest in-state home date, hosting Miles on August 29.
Mississippi State begins September 5 in Starkville against ULM.
Southern Miss also opens September 5, hosting Alcorn State in Hattiesburg.
Ole Miss follows on September 6 against Louisville in Nashville.
That means fans of the state’s most prominent programs will have games spread across two weekends.
The schedule also creates several opportunities for fans to watch Mississippi teams before conference play takes over the calendar.
Ole Miss Has a High-Profile Opening Weekend
The Ole Miss opener deserves special attention because it is scheduled for Sunday night.
The Rebels and Louisville will meet at Nissan Stadium in Nashville at 6:30 p.m. Central Time.
ABC will carry the game nationally.
The matchup gives Ole Miss a national stage immediately.
It also gives fans a clear date to remember when planning around the first weekend of the season.
Ole Miss will then return to its regular schedule with Charlotte on September 12 in Oxford. The Rebels are scheduled to host LSU on September 19.
Those games follow the Louisville opener and begin the next phase of the season.
The 2026 Opening Weekend Is Already Taking Shape
As of August 15, the key opening dates and several major kickoff times are already established.
The FBS season starts August 29.
FCS competition starts two days earlier.
Mississippi’s first confirmed in-state FBS-weekend game comes when Alcorn State hosts Miles that Saturday evening.
The major Mississippi FBS programs follow during the first September weekend.
That gives fans a straightforward calendar to follow as the new season approaches.
There is no need to wait for the traditional Labor Day weekend to see FBS football. The first games arrive in August, and the schedule grows rapidly from there.
What Fans Should Expect From the Opening Week
The opening week will bring a mixture of neutral-site games, international contests, home openers and traditional early-season matchups.
Some programs will immediately face challenging opponents.
Others will use the opening games to establish their identity before conference competition begins.
For fans, that creates one of the most anticipated stretches of the college football calendar.
August 29 starts the FBS schedule, September 5 brings the largest wave of games, and September 6 gives Ole Miss fans a primetime Sunday matchup.
Mississippi is therefore part of the national story from the very beginning.
Final Answer: When Does College Football Start in 2026?
The earliest 2026 college football games begin Thursday, August 27, when FCS programs take the field. The FBS regular season officially begins Saturday, August 29.
For Mississippi fans, Alcorn State hosts Miles at 6 p.m. Central Time on August 29. Mississippi State and Southern Miss begin September 5, while Ole Miss opens against Louisville in Nashville on September 6.
The long wait for college football is almost over. Late August brings the first action, and by the first week of September, the sport will be in full swing.
Which college football opener are you most excited to watch in 2026? Share your pick in the comments and stay tuned for the latest confirmed updates.