The 2026 football calendar is set to begin with a high‑profile NFL Kickoff Game that will see the New England Patriots travel to face the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday, September 9. The matchup marks the traditional start of the NFL season and will be broadcast nationally as fans gear up for a year of competition.
College football will precede the professional league, opening its 2026 campaign on Saturday, August 29 with a historic contest in Dublin, Ireland, where the North Carolina Tar Heels take on the TCU Horned Frogs at Aviva Stadium.
International Opening Act
That game not only showcases the growing global reach of the sport but also sets a tone for the season, offering a glimpse of the strategies teams will employ as they head into the long grind.
In the United States, the first round of NFL games for Florida’s franchises arrives on Sunday, September 13, with the Miami Dolphins hosting the Las Vegas Raiders, the Jacksonville Jaguars meeting the Cleveland Browns, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traveling to Cincinnati to play the Bengals.
A day earlier, the Florida Gators will open their college season at home, welcoming Florida Atlantic University to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, September 5, in a matchup that promises local excitement.
Florida's Early Matchups
The NFL regular season will stretch across 18 weeks, culminating in playoff action that leads to the Super Bowl in February, while the college schedule runs for 14 weeks, ending with championship games in December.
These timelines mean that fans in the Sunshine State will experience a near‑continuous flow of high‑stakes games from late August through the winter holidays, keeping the state’s football culture vibrant throughout the year.