College football doesn't actually start with a bang. It starts with a trickle, a few random games scattered across a Saturday in late August while everyone else is still arguing about their preseason Top 25 ballots. That's the cfb schedule week 0 in a nutshell. It’s a soft opening. A dress rehearsal with real stakes.
Most fans think the season starts Labor Day weekend. They're technically wrong, but you can’t blame them. Week 0 is a weird, curated selection of games that often features teams you haven't thought about since last December, or maybe teams playing in time zones that require an extra pot of coffee. It’s beautiful.
What the CFB Schedule Week 0 Is Actually Trying to Accomplish
The NCAA didn't just wake up and decide to ruin your August vacation plans. There’s a specific rule—Bylaw 17.11.4, if you’re a nerd for the rulebook—that dictates when games can happen. Most teams have to wait. But if you're playing in Hawaii, or if you’re playing in an FCS kickoff game, or if you’ve landed a special waiver for a neutral-site international opener, you get the green light early.
It’s basically a loophole.
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The most famous version of this is the "Hawaii Rule." Teams that travel to play the University of Hawaii get to play an extra game to help offset the massive travel costs. Because of that, Hawaii often finds itself as the anchor of the cfb schedule week 0. They’re the reason we’re sitting on our couches at midnight watching football in a stadium that feels like it’s on the surface of the moon.
Recently, the Big Ten and other major conferences have started eyeing this window for international exposure. We've seen Northwestern, Nebraska, and Florida State head over to Dublin, Ireland, to kick things off at Aviva Stadium. It’s a brilliant marketing move. You get a standalone window with zero competition from the SEC or the NFL. For about three hours, the entire sports world is focused on a random stadium in Dublin or a humid afternoon in Jacksonville.
Why the Games Usually Feel So Sloppy
Don't expect a masterpiece. Week 0 is notorious for high snap counts and low-quality execution. You’re going to see missed tackles. You’ll see quarterbacks who aren't quite on the same page as their wideouts.
Think about it. These kids have been hitting each other in 100-degree heat for three weeks. They’re tired of practice. When they finally get under the lights in August, the adrenaline is through the roof, but the "game shape" isn't quite there yet.
If you look at the 2024 Week 0 slate as a prime example, Florida State went into their game against Georgia Tech as a massive favorite. They were ranked 10th in the country. They had all the hype. And then? They looked out of sync. Georgia Tech pushed them around. The game ended on a walk-off field goal in Ireland, and suddenly, the "safe" playoff contender was 0-1 before most people had even bought their tailgate supplies for September. That is the danger of the early start. You’re exposed.
Navigating the TV Networks
Finding these games is a scavenger hunt. Because the cfb schedule week 0 isn't a full "slate," the broadcast rights are all over the place.
- ESPN and ABC: They usually snag the biggest "brand" game, like the Ireland kickoff.
- CBS Sports Network: This is where you find the Mountain West or Conference USA gems.
- The Streaming Factor: Get ready to login to ESPN+ or Peacock.
Honestly, the best way to handle it is to just keep the remote handy and realize that some of these games might be on channels you didn't even know you subscribed to. The "Aer Lingus College Football Classic" has become a staple of the noon ET window. It’s strange eating breakfast while watching a game that’s happening in the evening in Dublin, but that’s the charm.
The Under-the-Radar Strategy of Week 0
Coaches have mixed feelings about starting early. If you play in Week 0, you get two bye weeks during the regular season instead of one. That’s huge for recovery.
Imagine a team like Jacksonville State or New Mexico State. They aren't playing for a National Championship, usually. They're playing for bowl eligibility and TV revenue. By playing in Week 0, they get the spotlight. They aren't buried on a secondary ESPN channel while Alabama and Georgia are playing simultaneously. For a smaller school, being the only game on TV at 3:30 PM on a Saturday in August is worth millions in "earned media."
Recruits are watching. Fans are starving for any kind of football. The ratings for a mediocre Week 0 game often outperform a "good" game in the middle of October simply because of the scarcity.
Common Misconceptions About the Early Start
People always ask: "Does this game count?"
Yes. It counts exactly the same as a game in November. If a Top 25 team loses in Week 0, their playoff hopes take a massive hit immediately. There is no "preseason" in college football. Every snap is live.
Another big one: "Is it always the same teams?"
Nope. While Hawaii is a frequent flyer, the rest of the cfb schedule week 0 rotates based on who is willing to travel or who gets invited to a kickoff classic. In 2025 and 2026, we’re seeing a shift where more Power 4 teams are considering these early slots just to get that extra bye week later in the year. It’s a tactical advantage that’s hard to ignore when the season is now 12 games plus potential conference championships and an expanded 12-team playoff.
How to Prepare for the Upcoming Slate
If you're planning your Saturday around these games, you need to be realistic. This isn't the day to host a 50-person party. Save that for Labor Day. Week 0 is for the die-hards.
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- Check the FCS lines. Sometimes the most exciting games in this window are the smaller schools. They play with a desperation that the blue bloods sometimes lack in August.
- Monitor the weather. August in the South or the West is brutal. Heat indices regularly hit 105 degrees. This leads to more cramping, more rotations at defensive line, and often, more scoring in the fourth quarter when everyone is gassed.
- Betting value. Oddsmakers are just as blind as we are in Week 0. There’s no "current year" film to watch. They’re basing lines on last year’s stats and transfer portal news. This is where the most "wrong" lines usually exist.
The cfb schedule week 0 represents the end of the long, dark summer. It’s the first sign of life. Even if the football is ugly—and let’s be real, it usually is—it’s ours. It’s a reminder that fall is coming, the bands are tuning up, and for at least one afternoon, even the smallest school in the country can be the center of the universe.
Actionable Steps for the Next Week 0
- Sync your digital calendar: Don't rely on memory; many Week 0 games are announced late in the spring or early summer compared to the rest of the schedule.
- Verify your streaming logins: Since games often land on niche platforms (FloFootball, Mountain West Network, etc.), check your access 24 hours before kickoff.
- Watch the injury reports: Because teams haven't played yet, "minor" camp injuries are often kept quiet until the pre-game warmup. Check social media feeds from beat writers an hour before the game starts.