2026-27 College Football Season Opens Saturday With North Carolina vs TCU in Dublin at 12:00 ET
Updated
Updated · Black Shoe Diaries · Aug 24
2026-27 College Football Season Opens Saturday With North Carolina vs TCU in Dublin at 12:00 ET
3 articles · Updated · Black Shoe Diaries · Aug 24
Summary
North Carolina and TCU launch the 2026-27 college football season on Saturday in Dublin, with kickoff set for 12:00 ET in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
Week 0 extends beyond Ireland with San Jose State facing USC, NC State meeting Virginia, Hawaii visiting Stanford, and Memphis playing UNLV in a late-night matchup.
Matt Campbell returns to the Dublin opener after leading Iowa State there last year, when the Cyclones beat Kansas State 24-21.
The opener ends an unusually turbulent offseason marked by coaching changes, player transfers and stadium construction, starting a season that runs from late August into late January.
Can Bill Belichick redeem UNC's disastrous debut against TCU as college football kicks off its high-stakes international showcase in Dublin?
With massive transfer portal shifts and legal battles, which powerhouse program will unexpectedly crumble in the new 12-team playoff era?
Will sudden legal injunctions granting fifth-year eligibility completely derail the carefully constructed rosters of championship contenders this season?