It’s never too early to prepare for the next college football season. After Ohio State won last year’s College Football Playoff title in the first-ever 12-team format, the 2025 season looks to pick up where it left off with exciting action.

You can find information on when the 2025 college football season starts here. This story will be updated if games and times are changed.

When does the 2025 college football season start?

The 2025 season is set to begin on Saturday, Aug. 23 in this year’s “Week Zero.” Most of the nation’s Division I programs will start their seasons the following week.

Click or tap here for the full schedule and scores. Here are some of the games currently scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 23 in Week Zero:

• Aer Lingus College Football Classic: Iowa State vs. Kansas State (in Dublin, Ireland)
• Stanford at Hawaii
• Fresno State at Kansas
• FCS Kickoff: UC Davis vs. Mercer (in Montgomery, AL) | ESPN Networks
• MEAC/SWAC Challenge: Southern vs. North Carolina Central (in Atlanta, Georgia) | ESPN Networks
• Tarleton State at Portland State

📊 TOP-25: Way-too-early college football top 25 rankings for the 2025-26 season

The following week begins Week 1 of the 2025 college football season, with most of the games set for Saturday, Aug. 30 during Labor Day weekend. Here are some of the season-opening matchups.

Thursday, Aug. 28

• Nebraska vs. Cincinnati (in Kansas City, Missouri)
• Duke’s Mayo Classic: Appalachian State vs. Charlotte (at Bank of America State in Charlotte, North Carolina)
• Delaware State at Delaware
• Towson at Norfolk State

Friday, Aug. 29

• Kennesaw State at Wake Forest
• Campbell at Rhode Island

Saturday, Aug. 30

• Texas at Ohio State
• LSU at Clemson
• Alabama at Florida State
• Aflac Kickoff Game: Syracuse vs. Tennessee (in Atlanta, GA)
• Duquesne at Pitt
• Montana State at Oregon
• Hampton at Jackson State
• North Carolina A&T at Tennessee State
• Eastern Washington at UIW

Sunday, Aug. 31

• Notre Dame at Miami (FL) | 7:30 p.m. ET | ABC
• Aflac Kickoff Game: South Carolina vs. Virginia Tech (in Atlanta, GA)

Monday, Sept. 2

• TCU at North Carolina | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS: Way-too-early 2025 College Football Playoff bracket predictions

Some other early-season nonconference games to watch can be found below:

• Week 2: Saturday, September 6
  • Michigan at Oklahoma
  • Oklahoma State at Oregon
  • Iowa at Iowa State
  • Arizona State at Mississippi State
  • South Dakota State at Montana State
• Week 3: Saturday, September 13
  • Minnesota at California
  • Texas A&M at Notre Dame
  • Wisconsin at Alabama
  • Pittsburgh at West Virginia
• Week 4: Saturday, September 20

🏆 HEISMAN CONTENDERS: Way-too-early Heisman Trophy contenders for the 2025 season

College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six bowl games schedule

The 2025 season is the 12th edition of the College Football Playoff, and the second in the 12-team format.

Here are the College Football Playoff dates and schedule for next season. All New Year’s Six games are also included:

• First round | Week of Saturday, Dec. 20
  • Location: the home field of the higher-seeded team or another site designated by the higher-seeded program.
  • One game | Friday, Dec. 19
  • Three games | Saturday, Dec. 20
• Quarterfinal sites:
  • Cotton Bowl | Wednesday, Dec. 31
  • Orange Bowl | Thursday, Jan. 1
  • Rose Bowl | Thursday, Jan. 1
  • Sugar Bowl | Thursday, Jan. 1
• Semifinal sites:
  • Fiesta Bowl | Thursday, Jan. 8
  • Peach Bowl  | Friday, Jan. 9
• CFP National Championship Game: Monday, Jan. 19, 2026 (in Miami, Florida)

The title game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. This will mark the second time a location will host the CFP National Championship Game twice.

CALENDAR: 2025-26 College Football Playoff schedule, dates, TV channel, sites

Ohio State won the College Football Playoff National Championship during the 2024-2025 season. Here’s a complete history of the CFP title game.

🏆: Complete college football championship history | Schools with the most titles | Most CFP appearances

Future CFP national championship locations and dates

2026-27: Las Vegas (Allegiant Stadium)  – Jan. 25