Primetime Rivalries and International Highlights
The schedule for the opening stretch of college football was recently announced, revealing a mix of traditional rivalries, marquee primetime slots and a handful of overseas contests that will set the tone for the season.
One of the most anticipated contests is the Apple Cup, where Washington State travels to face Washington in Seattle. The game is slated for a 4 p.m. Eastern kickoff on Sunday, September 6, and will be broadcast on NBC.
Another marquee matchup pits Wisconsin against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The game, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern, will be televised on NBC and marks a rare meeting of the two programs at the iconic stadium.
NBC also highlighted two additional rivalry games that will air in primetime. Iowa State will host Iowa in Week 2, while Minnesota and Wisconsin are set to meet on Black Friday, a date that traditionally draws a national audience.
Week 1 will see ESPN broadcast a reunion of former Pac‑12 rivals when UCLA takes on California in a 10:30 p.m. Eastern start, giving viewers a late‑night kickoff to open the season.
The historic rivalry between Yale and Harvard will be played at Boston’s Fenway Park on November 21. ESPNU will carry the game at 3:30 p.m. Eastern, bringing college football to a baseball venue for the first time in decades.
On Halloween, Navy and Notre Dame will meet in Foxboro, Massachusetts, for the 99th edition of their series. The noon Eastern kickoff will be shown on either ABC or ESPN, underscoring the game’s national appeal.
International games are also part of the early schedule. Week 0 features TCU versus North Carolina in Dublin and North Carolina State against Virginia in Rio de Janeiro, expanding the season’s reach beyond U.S. borders.
NBC has selected the Big Ten opener, with San Jose State traveling to face USC in a 3 p.m. Eastern start, rounding out a diverse slate of opening‑week contests.