It’s never too early to start preparing for the next college football season, and after Michigan’s thrilling win in last year’s College Football Playoff, the 2024 season looks set to pick up where it left off with some exciting action.
Information on when the 2024 college football season will start can be found here. If games or times change, this article will be updated.
When does the 2024 college football season start?
The 2024 season Saturday, August 24 This year’s “Week 0,” with most of the Division I programs in the country starting their seasons the following week.
Here are some of the matches currently scheduled for Week 0 on Saturday, August 24th.
- Aer Lingus College Football Classic: Florida State vs. Georgia Tech (Dublin, Ireland) | 12:00 PM ET | ESPN
- McNeese vs. Tarleton State | 2:30 PM ET | ESPNU
- Montana State vs. New Mexico | 4:00 PM ET | FS1
- FCS Kickoff: North Alabama vs. Southeast Missouri State (Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama) | 7:00 PM ET | ESPN
- MEAC/SWAC Challenge: Norfolk State vs. Florida A&M (Center Park Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia) | 7:30 PM | ABC
- SMU vs. Nevada | 8:00 PM ET | CBS Sports Network
- Delaware State University vs. University of Hawaii
Week 1 of the 2024 college football season begins next week, with most games scheduled for Labor Day weekend, Saturday, August 31. Here are some of the matchups for the season opener:
Thursday, August 29
- North Carolina vs. Minnesota | 8pm ET | Fox
- North Dakota State vs. Colorado | 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Friday, August 30
- TCU vs. Stanford | 10:30 pm ET | ESPN
Saturday, August 31
- Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game: Clemson vs. Georgia (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA) | 12:00 PM ET | ABC
- Penn State vs West Virginia | 12pm | Fox
- Miami (FL) vs. Florida | 3:30 pm ET | ABC
- Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M | 7:30 pm ET | ABC
- Georgia State vs Georgia Tech | 8pm ET | ACC Network
- South Dakota State vs. Oklahoma State | ESPN+
September 1st (Sunday)
- Orange Blossom Classic: North Carolina Central vs. Alabama (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL) | 3:00 PM ET | ESPN
- Vegas Kickoff Classic: LSU vs. USC (Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV) | 7:30 p.m. on ABC
Monday, September 2
- Boston College vs. Florida State | 7:30 pm ET | ESPN
More Schedules: Here’s the FCS schedule for 2024 HBCU Football Homecomings and Classics
Other early season non-conference games to watch include:
- Week 2: Saturday, September 7
- Texas vs. Michigan | 12:00 PM ET | FOX
- Arkansas vs. Oklahoma State | 12:00 PM ET | ABC
- Kansas State vs. Tulane | 12:00 PM ET | ESPN or ESPN2
- Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati | 12:00 PM ET | ESPN or ESPN2
- Florida A&M vs Miami (FL) | 6pm ET | ACC Network
- UIW vs. South Dakota State | 7:00 PM ET
- Colorado vs. Nebraska | 7:30 pm ET, NBC
- Duke’s Mayo Classic: NC State vs Tennessee (Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina) | 7:30 PM ET | ABC
- Boise State vs Oregon | 10pm | Peacock
- Week 3: Saturday, September 14th
- Alabama vs. Wisconsin | 12:00 PM ET | FOX
- West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh | 3:30 pm ET | ESPN or ESPN2
History: The greatest walk-ons of all time | Notable firsts and milestones | Records that will never be broken
College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six Bowl Game Schedules
The 2024 season will be the College Football Playoff’s 11th season and its first in a 12-team format.
Here are the dates and schedule for next season’s College Football Playoff, including every New Year’s Six game.
- Round 1 | Week of Saturday, December 21
- Location: Home base of the higher seeded team or another venue designated by the higher seeded program.
- Quarter finals
- Fiesta Bowl | Tuesday, December 31
- Peach Bowl | Wednesday, January 1
- Rose Bowl | Wednesday, January 1
- Sugar Bowl | Wednesday, January 1
- Semi-finals
- Orange Bowl | Thursday, January 9
- Cotton Bowl | Friday, January 10
- CFP National Championship Game: Monday, January 20, 2023 (Atlanta, Georgia)
The final will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, marking the first time that two CFP National Championship Games will be held at the same location.
The University of Michigan won the College Football Playoff National Championship for the 2023-2024 season. Here is the complete history of the CFP title game.
| Year (Match day) |
game | position |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | #4 Ohio State University 422nd place Oregon 20 | Arlington, Texas |
| 2016 | 2nd place Alabama 45No. 1 Clemson 40 | Glendale, Arizona |
| 2017 | #2 Clemson 35No. 1 Alabama 31 | Tampa, Florida |
| 2018 | #4 Alabama 263rd place Georgia 23 | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 2019 | #2 Clemson 44No. 1 Alabama 16 | Santa Clara, California |
| 2020 | #1 LSU 42No. 3 Clemson 25 | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| 2021 | #1 Alabama 523rd place: Ohio State University 24 | Miami Gardens, Florida |
| 2022 | 3rd place Georgia 33, 1st Place Alabama 18 | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| 2023 | 1st place Georgia 65, #3 TCU 7 | Inglewood, California |
| 2024 | #1 Michigan 342nd place Washington 13 | Houston, Texas |
🏆: The complete history of college football championships | Schools with the most titles | Most CFP appearances
Upcoming CFP National Championship locations and dates
2025-26: Miami (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL) – January 19th
- Round 1 | Week of Saturday, December 20
- Location: Home base of the higher seeded team or another venue designated by the higher seeded program.
- Quarterfinal Venue:
- Cotton Bowl | Wednesday, December 31
- Orange Bowl | Thursday, January 1
- Rose Bowl | Thursday, January 1
- Sugar Bowl | Thursday, January 1
- Semi-final venue:
- Fiesta Bowl | Thursday, January 8
- Peach Bowl | Friday, January 9
