A Season Defined by marquee matchups
ABC unveiled its 2026 college football slate, a schedule that stitches together traditional powerhouses and fresh storylines. The season kicks off with a Week 0 doubleheader that will be played in Dublin and Rio de Janeiro, setting a global tone for the year.
One of the most anticipated moments is Lane Kiffin’s first game as LSU’s head coach, a showdown against Clemson in Week 1. The matchup will also serve as the inaugural stop for ESPN’s College GameDay this season, promising a national audience for the Tigers’ new era.
Week 3 brings another narrative twist as LSU travels to Oxford to face Ole Miss, marking Kiffin’s return to the program where he once served as offensive coordinator. The game is expected to draw significant attention from both fan bases.
In Week 2, ABC will broadcast the Ohio State at Texas contest, a non‑conference clash that pits two of the nation’s most prominent programs against each other. The network has positioned the game as a centerpiece of its early‑season programming.
The Black Friday weekend will feature a tripleheader of rivalry games: Mississippi State versus Ole Miss, Florida versus Florida State, and Texas versus Texas A&M. Each contest is slated for primetime slots, underscoring the network’s commitment to high‑stakes matchups.
Other broadcast notes include ESPN’s Thanksgiving night game between TCU and Texas Tech, while Fox has announced its own Big Noon slot featuring Oklahoma at Michigan in Week 2. These arrangements reflect a broader realignment of college football rights across the major networks.
The 2026 season will mark the third year since ESPN and ABC assumed control of the SEC’s inventory, a partnership that has resulted in nearly every Saturday featuring at least one SEC team in primetime, with only a single exception to date.