Big Ten Kickoff and Early Highlights
The 2026‑2027 college football season will open on August 29 with a Big Ten showdown as the USC Trojans travel to face the San Jose State Spartans. The game will stream on Peacock and air on NBC, marking the first of many marquee matchups the network has slated for the year.
A week later, Michigan will step onto the field under new head coach Kyle Whittingham for the first time, taking on Western Michigan on September 5. Whittingham’s arrival adds a fresh storyline to the Wolverines’ campaign and draws considerable attention from fans and analysts alike.
September 6 brings a doubleheader that will be broadcast across NBC and Peacock. Viewers can expect back‑to‑back contests featuring Washington versus Washington State and Notre Dame versus Wisconsin, each game promising high stakes and competitive play.
The schedule intensifies in the following weeks, highlighted by a quadruple‑header on September 19 that spreads multiple games across both NBC and Peacock. Notable pairings include Notre Dame versus Michigan State and Indiana versus Western Kentucky, underscoring the depth of rivalry that defines the season.
Additional high‑profile games include the Iowa Corn Cy‑Hawk Series rivalry between Iowa Hawkeyes and Iowa State Cyclones in Week 2, as well as contests involving programs such as the University of Illinois, the University of Minnesota and the University of Southern California throughout September and October.
The full schedule, which also features matchups like USC versus San Jose State, Michigan State versus Notre Dame and a host of other conference games, is available for fans to explore as the season approaches.