2026 college football season

Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen finished with 181 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Boise State joined the rebuilt Pac-12 Conference in 2026.

Maddux Madsen threw for 2,334 yards and 18 touchdowns the previous season.

The facemask play caused Hoover to bleed profusely, but he stayed in the game.

The facemask incident occurred in the first half of Hoover's debut game against North Texas.

Broadcaster Gus Johnson said "Welcome to Indiana. He bleeds red" after seeing Hoover bloodied.

Carson Beck transferred to Miami from Georgia.

Cam Ward transferred to Miami from Washington State.

The Miami Hurricanes played a road game against Stanford.

An LSU fan held a sign reading 'Dabo Supports Lindsay Clancy' referencing the Lindsay Clancy case.

Local courts opened the door for multiple NFL players to return to college football.

The 500th episode of ESPN's College GameDay was held at LSU.

USC's first home game against a Big Ten opponent will be on Sept. 26 against Oregon.

USC beat San Jose State 42-26 in their Week 0 game.

USC hosted Fresno State on Friday night.

Greg Burrell steps in as the primary running back for Texas State this year.

Arch Manning is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Last season, Brad Jackson completed 71% of passes, had 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, while racking up 3,224 yards.

Hoosier the Bison drove around the field in an IndyCar while the marching band performed during the 2026 season opener.

For his sophomore season, Hoosier the Bison entered via a zip line.

Hoosier the Bison skydived into Memorial Stadium for his debut.

The author of the article was raised in a household that supported the Wisconsin Badgers.

The author of the article graduated from the University of Wisconsin.

TCU plays its home games at Amon G. Carter Stadium, named after the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's founder and publisher.

TCU Athletics issued a statement saying it fully restored media credentials to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Star-Telegram TCU reporter Steven Johnson had to cover the season opener from the stands.

The two-point conversion was successful.

Robert Wright Jr. is a right tackle for Michigan State.

Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic connected with Rodney Bullard Jr. for a five-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Canine Companions raisers who return a puppy that does not make it through professional training are asked if they would like the puppy back free of charge.

Allie McCafferty is a Clemson junior and vice president of the Clemson Canine Companions club.

Kelsey Johnson is an LSU senior and the current president of the LSU Canine Companions club.

The Office of University Counsel cited unspecified allegations and said it would not comment on their nature.

UNC finished Belichick's debut season with a 4-8 record.

UNC upset TCU in Ireland to open Belichick's second season.

12 teams reach the College Football Playoff.

The Los Angeles Rams are widely expected to be the best team in the NFL this year.

In the NCAA, there are 68 teams between the Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big 12 and Notre Dame.

Rutgers entered the game as 29.5-point favorites by some sportsbooks.

UMass had not won a game since Oct. 26, 2024.

Rutgers beat Miami (FL) in the 2023 Pinstripe Bowl.

Schiano first became head coach at Rutgers in 2001.

Rutgers lost to UMass 37-21 at home.

Schiano was named college football's Coach of the Year.

UMass intercepted Dylan Lonergan three times in the game.

The win was the biggest outright upset in five years at +2400 odds.

UMass had not defeated an FBS program since beating Army in 2023.

At Duke, Darian Mensah threw 34 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Miami has eight returning starters.

Stanford defeated Hawaii 37-27 the previous week.

Skattebo was a fourth-round draft pick.

Matt Nagy is the new offensive coordinator for the New York Giants.

Cam Skattebo suffered a season-ending ankle injury during his rookie season with the New York Giants.

USC defeated San Jose State with a final score of 42-26.

Jayden Maiava completed 25 of 29 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns during the game.

USC opened its 2026 season at home against San Jose State.

Stanford defeated Hawaii 37-27.

Tavita Pritchard won his debut as Stanford head coach.

Virginia quarterback Beau Pribula ran for 110 yards and threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns.

Florida State defeated New Mexico State by 17 points.

New Mexico State had a 4-8 record in the 2025 season.

Florida State's new quarterback Ashton Daniels transferred from Auburn.

Attorneys representing the athletes added the SEC to their amended lawsuits on Friday.

Bill Belichick leads North Carolina against TCU in Dublin, Ireland.

North Carolina played TCU in last season's opener.

North Carolina had 322 yards of offense in the game.

North Carolina scored 15 points in the game.

UNC was a 9.5-point underdog against TCU.

USC took a 35-3 lead into the fourth quarter against San Jose State.

USC was ranked No. 14 in the country at the time of their 2026 season opener.

USC led 28-0 at halftime against San Jose State.

The North Carolina marching band made its way to Aviva Stadium before the game.

The game was held at Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Barnett hailed from Shawnee, Kansas.

Dr. Drew Van Horn was the interim president of William Jewell College.

Dr. Van Horn said first responders including the sheriff's office, police department, EMS team, and team physician responded quickly.

Belichick's son is on medical leave, forcing Belichick to take on a larger role calling the defense.

Belichick hired Bobby Petrino to lead UNC's offense.

UNC defeated TCU 15-10 in their 2026 season opener in Ireland.

Belichick was fired by the Patriots following the 2023 season.

Bill Belichick's North Carolina team defeated TCU by a score of 15-10.

In Belichick's first season as North Carolina head coach, the team opened with a 48-14 loss to TCU and ended the season 4-8.

TCU's 2026 recruiting class is ranked 44th.

Per Phil Steele, 31 of UNC's signees were in for spring, while none of TCU's signees were in for spring.

The BetMGM moneyline for the game was North Carolina (+275) and TCU (-350).

James Franklin was hired as the head coach at Virginia Tech.

Mississippi State ranks in the top-20 of the 247Sports Team Talent Composite.

Virginia Tech's quarterback is Ethan Grunkemeyer.

Josh Jacobs was charged with one count of misdemeanor battery and one count of criminal damage to property.

The incident report says Jacobs' ex-girlfriend told officers that Jacobs grabbed her and threw her to the ground.

The surveillance video shows Jacobs took ANM's phone while she was on the floor of the garage and later appeared to damage it.

Michigan set an all-time college football ticket revenue record.

Texas Tech attempted to start a quarterback who bet on his own team's games.

Lane Kiffin moved from Ole Miss to LSU.

Luke Fickell's record at Wisconsin through three seasons is 17-21 overall and 10-17 in Big Ten play.

Wisconsin offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes replaced Phil Longo.

North Dakota State quarterback Nathan Hayes has been with the program for four years.

Buddie said the misinformation resulted in threats to a student-athlete and his family.

Buddie said an unnamed source without first-hand knowledge of the incident provided inaccurate information cited in the Star-Telegram's initial reporting.

TCU's season opener is against Bill Belichick's North Carolina team in Dublin on Saturday.

There is consensus in the ACC that Miami spends the most in the conference.

Ohio State spent roughly $20 million through outside NIL deals on its football roster prior to winning the 2024 national championship.

The College Sports Commission clearinghouse approved $228 million in NIL deals during the first six months of 2026.

Virginia is 6-1 ATS over its last seven season openers versus unranked squads.

NC State is on an 0-4 ATS run on season openers.

USC is a 39.5-point favorite over San Jose State.

The NCAA's new eligibility guidelines give athletes five years to play five seasons of college athletics.

Texas offensive lineman Cole Hutson sued the NCAA in a Texas court for an additional season of eligibility.

The Big Ten voted to bar athletes who have signed NFL contracts from joining the conference.

Florida State added QB Ashton Daniels in the offseason after he struggled at Stanford and Auburn.

The SportsLine model recommends Virginia (-5.5) to cover against NC State in Week 0.

UNC vs. TCU, with TCU favored by 7.5 points, kicks off the 2026 college football season in Dublin, Ireland.

Lane Kiffin said there could end up being hundreds of athletes granted a fifth year through ongoing court cases.

Lane Kiffin said he does not believe NFL players should come back to college in general.

Dan Lanning and Marcus Freeman publicly opposed adding players this late in the process.

Lake Overstreet at Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park has approximately five miles of multi-use trails surrounding a 144-acre lake.

Florida State and New Mexico State had a Week Zero college football game on August 24, 2026.

Lake Jackson Mounds State Park has a 0.75-mile interpretive trail past the site of an early-1800s grist mill and a 2.2-mile nature trail.

Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU.

Kiffin was expected to target multiple Ole Miss players after the Rebels' season ended, including Kewan Lacy and Trinidad Chambliss.

Pete Golding did not deny that a sweep of the Ole Miss football facility occurred.

North Carolina is ranked No. 94 heading into Bill Belichick’s second season.

The Big Ten and SEC combine for 15 of the top 25 teams in the debut 2026 re-rank.

Notre Dame is seeking the program’s first national championship since 1988.

Dan Lanning said that once players go to the NFL, they do not get the opportunity to come back to college.

Dan Lanning said that if a team invites somebody back, it means kicking somebody else off the team to match roster limits.

Former Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright and former LSU defensive end Jack Pyburn are on NFL training camp rosters and are among the players headlining the group granted eligibility.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day won a national championship two seasons prior.

There were 138 FBS teams in the 2025 college football season.

Only four active FBS head coaches—Dabo Swinney, Kirby Smart, Ryan Day, and Curt Cignetti—have won a national championship.

Duncanville won a 6A state championship with Russell playing quarterback.

Alabama will open its season against East Carolina before traveling to play Kentucky.

Keelon Russell is a redshirt freshman quarterback from the Dallas-Fort Worth area who played high school football for Duncanville.

The three Class 1 misdemeanor charges stem from one alleged incident on August 10 and two on August 12.

Beebe's dog was seized and placed in protective custody at the Albemarle County SPCA.

Beebe transferred to Virginia after playing two seasons as a running back and return specialist at UAB.

Ole Miss is ranked ninth and LSU is ranked 11th in the preseason AP Poll.

Pete Golding is the current head coach of Ole Miss.

Ole Miss is a 2.5-point favorite against LSU.

Fernando Mendoza completed 8 of 15 passes for 86 yards in the game.

Fernando Mendoza was the Heisman-winning quarterback of Indiana's 2025 national championship team.

Houston Texans linebacker Wade Woodaz intercepted Fernando Mendoza's third pass of the game for an 80-yard touchdown.

The game in which Houston threw for 817 yards was a 77-76 loss to Captain Shreve

Houston said he has half his team come to Planet Fitness at 3:30 a.m. for workouts

Houston said his parents taught him to be a student-athlete and not an athlete student

Notre Dame enters the season on a 10-game winning streak.

The last team to start and finish No. 1 in the AP poll was Alabama in 2017.

Indiana is the seventh returning national champion in 40 years to be ranked outside the preseason top five.

The No. 9 jersey worn by Joe Burrow at LSU hasn't been worn since 2019.

DJ Pickett wore No. 3 during his first season with the Tigers in 2025.

Brian Kelly was fired on Oct. 26, 2025.

Oregon received six first-place votes in the 2026 preseason Coaches Poll.

Ohio State received 38 first-place votes in the 2026 preseason Coaches Poll.

Ohio State is ranked No. 1 in the 2026 preseason US LBM Coaches Poll.

Indiana won the national championship last season.

Indiana trailed only Ohio State in the Big Ten in scoring defense and total defense last season.

Nebraska lost quarterback Dylan Raiola to Oregon this offseason.

Michigan State was a College Football Playoff participant in 2015.

Fitzgerald's tenure at Northwestern ended on an 11-game losing streak.

The Big Ten West champion went 0-10 in the league title game against the East.

Since the SEC began holding its championship game in 1992, the preseason favorite has gone on to claim the title 10 times.

Ole Miss was picked to finish third in the league.

Texas received the most champion votes prior to last season and missed the College Football Playoff.

Lane Kiffin told reporters, "We're all going to die."

Steve Sarkisian told reporters that the expectations inside the Texas building are higher than they are on the outside.

Texas became the first preseason No. 1 team in the US LBM coaches poll to finish outside the top 10 since 2012 LSU.

Sankey said SEC football programs draw an average of 80,000 fans per game.

Ten SEC teams debuted in the preseason top 25 last year.

The SEC won 13 national championships in the most recent school year, topping its previous record of 10.