College football is officially back for the 2025 season, and fans are already circling dates on their calendars. From Week Zero in August all the way to the College Football Playoff National Championship in January, the season is packed with must-watch games and can’t-miss rivalries. Ivan Buxton Gay Jr. shares all the details:
Week Zero & Early Highlights
The season kicks off August 23 with a strong slate of games:
- Iowa State vs. Kansas State in Dublin – a special international opener airing on ESPN.
- Fresno State at Kansas on FOX.
- Stanford at Hawaii on CBS in primetime.
Week One follows quickly with powerhouse matchups like Texas vs. Ohio State and Notre Dame at Miami in primetime. Early-season battles like these often shape the playoff picture long before December.
Must-Watch Rivalries
Throughout the fall, traditional rivalries and conference showdowns will keep fans glued to their screens:
- Michigan vs. Oklahoma – September 13 on ABC.
- Alabama vs. Georgia – September 27, an early SEC clash with playoff implications.
- Notre Dame vs. Arkansas – also September 27.
Ivan Buxton Gay Jr., longtime fan of NCAA sports, points out that these games will be especially critical with the new 12-team College Football Playoff format set to debut this year.
Bowl Season & Playoff Expansion
The expanded playoff means more meaningful games in December and January:
- First Round: December 19–20.
- Quarterfinals: Cotton Bowl (Dec 31), Orange, Rose, and Sugar Bowls (Jan 1).
- Semifinals: Fiesta Bowl (Jan 8) and Peach Bowl (Jan 9).
- National Championship: January 19, 2026.
Fans should also note one key change: the Rose Bowl will now kick off at 4:00 p.m. ET, an hour earlier than in past seasons.
How to Watch
Coverage will be spread across multiple networks:
- ESPN/ABC for the majority of SEC, ACC, Big 12, and the Playoff.
- Fox for Big Ten and Big 12 games.
- CBS for Big Ten, Mountain West, and service academy matchups.
- NBC/Peacock featuring Notre Dame games.
- The CW adding select ACC and Pac-12 contests.
With so many platforms, fans may want to plan ahead to make sure they don’t miss their favorite matchups.
For the full 2025 college football TV schedule and bowl previews, visit the Houston Chronicle’s guide.
