It’s never too early to prepare for the next college football season. After Michigan won last year’s College Football Playoff title in thrilling fashion, the 2024 season looks to pick up where it left off with exciting action.
You can find information on when the 2024 college football season starts here. This story will be updated if games and times are changed.
When does the 2024 college football season start?
The 2024 season is set to begin on Saturday, Aug. 24 in this year’s “Week Zero.” Most of the nation’s Division I programs will start their seasons the following week.
Here are some of the games currently scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 24 in Week Zero:
- Aer Lingus College Football Classic: Florida State vs. Georgia Tech (in Dublin, Ireland) | 12 p.m. ET | ESPN
- MEAC/SWAC Challenge: Norfolk State vs. Florida A&M (Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia) | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
- FCS Kickoff: North Alabama vs. Southeast Missouri State (Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama)
- SMU at Nevada
- Montana State at New Mexico
- Delaware State at Hawaii
- McNeese at Tarleton State
The following week begins Week 1 of the 2024 college football season, with most of the games set for Saturday, Aug. 31 during Labor Day weekend. Here are some of the season-opening matchups.
Thursday, Aug. 29
- North Carolina at Minnesota
- North Dakota State at Colorado | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN
Friday, Aug. 30
- TCU at Stanford | 10:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
Saturday, Aug. 31
- Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game: Clemson vs. Georgia (Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia) | 12 p.m. ET | ABC
- Miami (FL) at Florida | 3:30 p.m. ET | ABC
- Notre Dame at Texas A&M | 7:30 p.m. ET | ABC
- Penn State at West Virginia
- Georgia State at Georgia Tech
- South Dakota State at Oklahoma State
Sunday, Sept. 1
- Vegas Kickoff Classic: LSU vs. Southern California (Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada) | 7:30 p.m. on ABC
- Orange Blossom Classic: North Carolina Central vs. Alabama State (Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida) | 2 p.m. ET
Monday, Sept. 2
- Boston College at Florida State | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
MORE SCHEDULES: Here’s every 2024 HBCU football homecoming and classic in the FCS
Some other early-season nonconference games to watch can be found below:
- Week 2: Saturday, September 7
- Texas at Michigan | 12 p.m. ET | FOX
- Duke’s Mayo Classic: NC State vs Tennessee (Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina) | 7:30 p.m. ET | ABC
- Colorado at Nebraska
- Arkansas at Oklahoma State
- Boise State at Oregon
- Pittsburgh at Cincinnati
- Kansas State at Tulane
- Florida A&M at Miami (FL)
- UIW at South Dakota State | 7 p.m. ET
- Week 3: Saturday, September 14
- Alabama at Wisconsin | 12 p.m. ET | FOX
- West Virginia at Pitt
HISTORY: Best walk-ons in history | Notable firsts and milestones | Unbreakable records
College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six bowl games schedule
The 2024 season is the 11th edition of the College Football Playoff, and the first in the 12-team format.
Here are the College Football Playoff dates and schedule for next season. All New Year’s Six games are also included:
- First round | Week of Saturday, Dec. 21
- Location: the home field of the higher-seeded team or another site designated by the higher-seeded program.
- Quarterfinals
- Fiesta Bowl | Tuesday, Dec. 31
- Peach Bowl | Wednesday, Jan. 1
- Rose Bowl | Wednesday, Jan. 1
- Sugar Bowl | Wednesday, Jan. 1
- Semifinals
- Orange Bowl | Thursday, Jan. 9
- Cotton Bowl | Friday, Jan. 10
- CFP National Championship Game: Monday, Jan. 20, 2023 (in Atlanta, Georgia)
The title game will be played at Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. This will mark the first time a location will host the CFP National Championship Game twice.
Michigan won the College Football Playoff National Championship during the 2023-2024 season. Here’s a complete history of the CFP title game.
| Year (Game Date) |
Game | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | No. 4 Ohio State 42, No. 2 Oregon 20 | Arlington, Texas |
| 2016 | No. 2 Alabama 45, No. 1 Clemson 40 | Glendale, Arizona |
| 2017 | No. 2 Clemson 35, No. 1 Alabama 31 | Tampa, Florida |
| 2018 | No. 4 Alabama 26, No. 3 Georgia 23 | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 2019 | No. 2 Clemson 44, No. 1 Alabama 16 | Santa Clara, California |
| 2020 | No. 1 LSU 42, No. 3 Clemson 25 | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| 2021 | No. 1 Alabama 52, No. 3 Ohio State 24 | Miami Gardens, Florida |
| 2022 | No. 3 Georgia 33, No. 1 Alabama 18 | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| 2023 | No. 1 Georgia 65, No. 3 TCU 7 | Inglewood, California |
| 2024 | No. 1 Michigan 34, No. 2 Washington 13 | Houston, Texas |
🏆: Complete college football championship history | Schools with the most titles | Most CFP appearances
Future CFP national championship locations and dates
2025-26: Miami (Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida) – Jan. 19
- First round | Week of Saturday, Dec. 20
- Location: the home field of the higher-seeded team or another site designated by the higher-seeded program.
- Quarterfinal sites:
- Cotton Bowl | Wednesday, Dec. 31
- Orange Bowl | Thursday, Jan. 1
- Rose Bowl | Thursday, Jan. 1
- Sugar Bowl | Thursday, Jan. 1
- Semifinal sites:
- Fiesta Bowl | Thursday, Jan. 8
- Peach Bowl | Friday, Jan. 9
