College football Week 1 viewing guide: TV Schedule, times, best games

This upcoming college football season features quite a few exciting storylines that can captivate both casual and die-hard fans alike. Can Kirby Smart's Bulldogs stay on top of the world for a third straight year? Will Michigan, Ohio State, or Penn State emerge victorious in the Big Ten race? And in what could be the Pac-12's last dance, which quarterback will steal more hearts, USC's Caleb Williams or Oregon's Bo Nix?

Lots of drama to keep track of, but let's just start with Week 1.

Here are the times and TV schedules for the first week of the 2023-24 college football season. All times listed are in Eastern.

College football Week 1: TV schedules

Thursday, August 31

• Elon vs. Wake Forest: 7 p.m., ACC Network
• Kent State vs. Central Florida: 7 p.m., FS1
• Saint Francis vs. Western Michigan: 7 p.m., ESPN+
• Rhode Island vs. Georgia State: 7 p.m., ESPN+
• Florida vs. Utah: 8 p.m., ESPN
• South Dakota vs. Missouri: 8 p.m., SEC Network
• Nebraska vs. Minnesota: 8 p.m., FOX
• Missouri State vs. Kansas: 8 p.m., ESPN+
• Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Tulsa: 8 p.m., ESPN+
• North Carolina A&T vs. Alabama-Birmingham: 8 p.m., ESPN+
• Southern Utah vs. Arizona State: 10 p.m., Pac-12 Network

Friday, September 1

• Howard vs. Eastern Michigan: 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Miami (Ohio) vs. Miami (Fla.): 7 p.m., ACC Network
• Central Michigan vs. Michigan State: 7 p.m., FS1
• Louisville vs. Georgia Tech (Atlanta): 7:30 p.m., ESPN
• Missouri State vs. Kansas: 8 p.m., ESPN+
• Stanford vs. Hawaii: 11 p.m., CBS Sports Network

Saturday, September 2

• Northern Illinois vs. Boston College: 12 p.m., ACC Network
• Louisiana Tech vs. SMU: 12 p.m., ESPNU
• Virginia vs. Tennessee (Nashville, Tenn.): 12 p.m., ABC
• Ball State vs. Kentucky: 12 p.m., SEC Network
• Arkansas State vs. Oklahoma: 12 p.m., ESPN
• Utah State vs. Iowa: 12 p.m., FS1
• Colorado vs. TCU: 12 p.m., Fox
• Fresno State vs. Purdue: 12 p.m., Big Ten Network
• Bowling Green vs. Liberty: 12 p.m., CBS Sports Network
• Northern Iowa vs. Iowa State: 2 p.m., ESPN+
• Long Island vs. Ohio: 2 p.m., ESPN+
• Akron vs. Temple: 2 p.m., ESPN+
• East Tennessee State vs. Jacksonville State: 2 p.m., ESPN+
• Mercer vs. Mississippi: 2 p.m., ESPN+
• Portland State vs. Oregon: 3 p.m., Pac-12 Network
• Ohio State vs. Indiana: 3:30 p.m, CBS
• Boise State vs. Washington: 3:30 p.m., ABC
• Massachusetts vs. Auburn: 3:30 p.m., ESPN
• Tennessee State vs. Notre Dame: 3:30 p.m., NBC/Peacock
• Wofford at Pittsburgh: 3:30 p.m., ACC Network
• Eastern Kentucky vs. Cincinnati: 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Gardner-Webb vs. Appalachian State: 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Buffalo vs. Wisconsin: 3:30 p.m., FS1
• Towson vs. Maryland: 3:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
• Rice vs. Texas: 3:30 p.m., Fox
• South Florida vs. Western Kentucky: 3:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
• California vs. North Texas: 4 p.m., ESPNU
• Southeast Louisiana vs. Mississippi State: 4 p.m., SEC Network
• Western Carolina vs. Arkansas (Little Rock, Ark.): 4 p.m., ESPN+
• Colgate vs. Syracuse: 4 p.m., ESPN+
• Tennessee-Martin vs. Georgia: 6 p.m., ESPN+
• South Carolina State vs. Charlotte: 6 p.m., ESPN+
• Monmouth vs. Florida Atlantic: 6 p.m., ESPN+
• Bucknell vs. James Madison: 6 p.m., ESPN+
• Albany vs. Marshall: 6 p.m., ESPN+
• The Citadel vs. Georgia Southern: 6 p.m., ESPN+
• Maine vs. Florida International: 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Nevada vs. Southern California: 6:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network
• Washington State vs. Colorado State: 7 p.m., CBS Sports Network
• New Mexico vs. Texas A&M: 7 p.m., ESPN
• Alabama A&M vs. Vanderbilt: 7 p.m., ESPN+
• Texas State vs. Baylor: 7 p.m., ESPN+
• Southeast Missouri State vs. Kansas State: 7 p.m., ESPN+
• Central Arkansas vs. Oklahoma State: 7 p.m., ESPN+
• Alcorn State vs. Southern Miss: 7 p.m., ESPN+
• Stephen F. Austin vs. Troy: 7 p.m., ESPN+
• Bethune-Cookman vs. Memphis: 7 p.m., ESPN+
• Army vs. Louisiana-Monroe: 7 p.m., TBD
• Northern Arizona vs. Arizona: 7 p.m., Pac-12 Network
• Texas-San Antonio vs. Houston: 7 p.m., FS1
• Texas Tech vs. Wyoming: 7:30 p.m., CBS
• West Virginia vs. Penn State: 7:30 p.m., NBC
• North Carolina vs. South Carolina (Charlotte, N.C.): 7:30 p.m., ABC
• Middle Tennessee vs. Alabama: 7:30 p.m., SEC Network
• Northwestern State vs. Louisiana-Lafayette: 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Toledo vs. Illinois: 7:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
• South Alabama vs. Tulane: 8 p.m., ESPNU
• Old Dominion vs. Virginia Tech: 8 p.m., ACC Network
• Western Illinois vs. New Mexico State: 9 p.m., ESPN+
• Incarnate Word vs. Texas-El Paso: 9 p.m., ESPN+
• Sam Houston vs. Brigham Young: 10:15 p.m., FS1
• Idaho State vs. San Diego State: 10:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
• Coastal Carolina vs. UCLA: 10:30 p.m., ESPN

Sunday, September 3

• Northwestern vs. Rutgers: 12 p.m., CBS
• Oregon State vs. San Jose State: 3:30 p.m., CBS
• LSU vs. Florida State (Orlando, Fla.): 7:30 p.m., ABC

Monday, September 4

• Clemson vs. Duke: 8 p.m., ESPN

College football Week 1: Best games

LSU vs. Florida State: This rematch of last season's dizzying matchup between the Tigers and the Seminoles won't disappoint. Both sides boast top playoff contenders with FSU touting quarterback Jordan Davis and LSU's roots running deep.

Colorado vs. TCU: It's Prime Time for the Colorado Buffaloes, now under Deion Sanders' leadership. Will Sanders' baggage get in the way of a redemption season? Can TCU build off of 2022's magic? This matchup gets the "Big Noon Saturday" slot for a reason.

Florida vs. Utah: A hurricane is coming in, literally and figuratively. As the Gators take shelter from the stormy weather ahead of Week 1, this rematch of last season's opener pits a SEC middleweight against the defending Pac-12 champions. Utah packs a punch in hopefully healthy QB Cameron Rising, but Florida might have some tricks up their sleeve.