U.S. — The 2026 college football Week 1 slate of games runs across five days, from Thursday to Sunday. The College Football Playoff field remains at 12 teams for the 2026 season.

Lane Kiffin begins his first season as head coach of LSU. Sam Leavitt is the starting quarterback for LSU. The Tigers play Clemson in their season-opening game.

The Big Ten conference has won the last three national championships. The Indiana Hoosiers won the national championship in the previous season. Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy in the previous season.

Fernando Mendoza was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Georgia won the national championship in 2021 and 2022.

The Big Ten, SEC, ACC, and Big 12 champions receive automatic bids to the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame is guaranteed a College Football Playoff spot if it finishes in the top 12 of the final CFP rankings. The highest-ranked Group of 6 team receives an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff regardless of conference championship status.

The College Football Playoff quarterfinals will be hosted by the Fiesta Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Peach Bowl. The College Football Playoff semifinals will be hosted by the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl. The College Football Playoff national championship game will be played on January 25 in Las Vegas.

Why It Matters

The 2026 season opens with a 12-team College Football Playoff format that includes automatic bids for the Big Ten, SEC, ACC, and Big 12 champions. The highest-ranked Group of 6 team also receives an automatic bid, while Notre Dame is guaranteed a spot if it finishes in the top 12 of the final rankings. The playoff structure culminates with the national championship game on January 25 in Las Vegas.

Coaching changes headline the start of the campaign, including Lane Kiffin beginning his first season at LSU and James Franklin leading Virginia Tech after being hired in November 2025. The Big Ten conference has won the last three national championships, following Georgia titles in 2021 and 2022. Fernando Mendoza, the previous season's Heisman Trophy winner, was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Timeline

Georgia won the national championship in 2021 and 2022 on January 10, 2022. The Big Ten Conference expanded to 18 member institutions and two affiliate institutions on August 2, 2024. Penn State fired James Franklin in October 2025 after 12 seasons as head coach on October 31, 2025. Virginia Tech hired James Franklin as head coach in November 2025 on November 30, 2025.

Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy in the previous season on December 13, 2025. The Texas Longhorns finished the previous season with a 10-3 record on December 31, 2025. The Texas Longhorns did not qualify for the College Football Playoff in the previous season on December 31, 2025. The Big Ten conference has won the last three national championships on January 20, 2026.

What's New

Additional reporting identifies Isaac Brown as a running back for Louisville. Jeremiah Smith is a player for Ohio State.

Virginia Tech will play VMI in its season opener on Sept. 5. College Football Playoff is a postseason tournament for the highest level of American college football. Ethan Grunkemeyer will start at quarterback for Virginia Tech in the season opener against VMI.

How Sources Differ

Sources present different records for teams in the previous season. One set of sources states the Texas Longhorns finished the previous season with a 10-3 record. Another source indicates Virginia Tech finished the 2025 season with a 3-9 record (2-6 ACC).