When does the 2022 college football season start? The 2022 NCAA football schedule
The countdown to kickoff has begun! College football returns at the end of August as Austin Peay and Western Kentucky commence the season on the 27th.
Football fans rejoice. The college season in less than two weeks from kicking off and you can almost taste the tailgates and hear the cracking of the pads as we inch closer to Austin Peay and Western Kentucky on August 27th.
College Football Classic headlines Week Zero
The Governors and the Hilltoppers will begin the season at noon in two Saturday’s time in what’s know as “Week Zero.” Week Zero is the official start of the football season, although it’s like an appetizer to Week One where all 131 schools in the FBS will be in action.
Week Zero will feature eleven games starting with Austin Peay and Western Kentucky and headlined by Nebraska and Northwestern who will play from Dublin, Ireland in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. (All times in ET)
Saturday, August 27
- Austin Peay - WKU, 12:00 pm
- Nebraska - Northwestern, 12:30 pm
- Idaho State - UNLV, 3:30 pm
- UConn - Utah State, 4:00 pm
- Wyoming - Illinois, 4:00 pm
- Duquesne - Florida State, 5:00 pm
- Charlotte - Florida Atlantic, 7:00 pm
- Florida A&M - North Carolina, 8:15 pm
- North Texas - UTWP, 9:00 pm
- Vanderbilt - Hawaii, 10:30 pm
- Nevada - New Mexico State, TBD
Week One will start with a full slate of games on Thursday, September 1st, and it begins with a bang with the Backyard Brawl as West Virginia plays Pittsburgh at 7:00 pm in a rivalry match to start the season.
Thursday, September 1
- St. Fran-Pa. - Akron, 6:00 p.m.
- West Virginia - Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m.
- SC State - UCF, 7:00 p.m.
- LIU-Post - Toledo, 7:00 p.m.
- C. Michigan at Oklahoma St. 7:00 p.m.
- Bryant - FIU, 7:00 p.m.
- Ball St. - Tennessee, 7:00 p.m.
- VMI - Wake Forest, 7:30 p.m.
- E. Illinois - N. Illinois, 8:00 p.m.
- Alabama A&M - UAB, 8:00 p.m.
- Louisiana Tech - Missouri, 8:00 p.m.
- Penn St. - Purdue, 8:00 p.m.
- New Mexico St. - Minnesota, 9:00 p.m.
- N. Arizona - Arizona St, 10:00 p.m.
- Portland St. - San Jose St., 10:30 p.m.
- Cal-Poly - Fresno St., 10:30 p.m.
There will be some football on Friday as well, but we get into full swing on Saturday as Week One continues around the country. The defending champion Georgia Bulldogs are ranked third in the preseason polls and will being their season against the 12th ranked Oregon Ducks at 3:30. The top ranked team in the nation, Alabama, will take on Utah State at 7:30 p.m., and the highlight matchup of the weekend is a Top 5 matchup between Ohio State and Notre Dame from the Horseshoe in Columbus.
Saturday, Septermber 3
- South Dakota State – Iowa, 12:00 pm
- Buffalo – Maryland, 12:00 pm
- Colorado State – Michigan, 12:00 pm
- NC State – East Carolina, 12:00 pm
- North Carolina – Appalachian State, 12:00 pm
- Sam Houston State – Texas A&M, 12:00 pm
- Rutgers – Boston College, 12:00 pm
- Delaware – Navy, 12:00 pm
- Richmond – Virginia, 12:30 pm
- Southeast Missouri State – Iowa State, 2:00 pm
- Oregon – Georgia, 3:30 pm
- Cincinnati – Arkansas, 3:30 pm
- Arizona – San Diego State, 3:30 pm
- UTEP – Oklahoma, 3:30 pm
- Tulsa – Wyoming, 3:30 pm
- North Dakota – Nebraska, 3:30 pm
- Bethune-Cookman – Miami, 3:30 pm
- Norfolk State – Marshall, 3:30 pm
- Houston – UTSA, 3:30 pm
- BYU – South Florida, 4:00 pm
- Troy – Mississippi, 4:00 pm
- Nicholls – South Alabama, 5:00 pm
- Morgan State – Georgia Southern, 6:00 pm
- Florida Atlantic – Ohio, 6:00 pm
- Middle Tennessee – James Madison, 6:00 pm
- Illinois State – Wisconsin, 7:00 pm
- Utah – Florida, 7:00 pm
- Grambling – Arkansas State, 7:00 pm
- Miami (Ohio) – Kentucky, 7:00 pm
- Elon – Vanderbilt, 7:00 pm
- Mercer – Auburn, 7:00 pm
- South Dakota – Kansas State, 7:00 pm
- Albany – Baylor, 7:00 pm
- UMass – Tulane, 7:00 pm
- Army – Coastal Carolina, 7:00 pm
- SE Louisiana – Louisiana, 7:00 pm
- Liberty – Southern Miss, 7:00 pm
- Notre Dame – Ohio State, 7:30 pm
- Memphis – Mississippi State, 7:30 pm
- Utah State – Alabama, 7:30 pm
- Georgia State – South Carolina, 7:30 pm
- SMU – North Texas, 7:30 pm
- Louisville – Syracuse, 8:00 pm
- Louisiana-Monroe – Texas, 8:00 pm
- Murray State – Texas Tech, 8:00 pm
- Boise State – Oregon State, 10:30 pm
- Kent State – Washington, 10:30
ACC powerhouse, Clemson will start their season by wrapping up the week on Monday night against Georgia Tech at 8:00 pm.