Week 0
Week 0 (or Week Zero) refers to the opening weekend of college football games in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), in which a small number of games are played to begin the regular season, a week before the vast majority of teams begin their season in "Week 1".[1][2][3] Although the FBS football season has traditionally begun on the first Saturday before Labor Day, the NCAA has sporadically awarded waivers for games to be played a week earlier in order to bring a game to a national television audience, or as part of the "Hawaii Rule" that grants teams that play a game in Hawaii, usually away games against the Rainbow Warriors, an extra regular season home game to offset travel costs. Games in Alaska, Puerto Rico and other outlying territories would nominally count towards the Hawaii Rule, but those locales do not field FBS programs, or have venues that met NCAA minimum attendance guidelines before those were abolished in 2023.
The first Week 0 game was the 1983 Kickoff Classic, in which No. 1 Nebraska defeated No. 4 Penn State, 44–6, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.[4]
For the 2020 season, the NCAA issued a blanket waiver for Week 0 games by any team, in order to allow for scheduling flexibility amid the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] However, no Division I FBS members wound up playing in a Week 0 game in 2020.
This list includes only games that involve at least one FBS school. Two special events in the second-level NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), the FCS Kickoff and MEAC/SWAC Challenge, currently take place during Week 0. Starting in 2026, all FCS teams will be allowed to play during Week 0 in most years.[6]
In September 2026 the NCAA's FBS oversight committee approved moving up week 1 to what is currently the week that is week 0 while giving teams another bye week beginning in 2027. It is unclear if Week 0 games would still be played following the schedule change.[7]
Results
[edit]Week 0 games since 2002:
Rankings reflect preseason AP Poll.
- Notes
See also
[edit]- FCS Kickoff, a Week 0 game featuring two Division I FCS teams that has been played since 2014
- MEAC/SWAC Challenge, a game featuring teams from the two historically black FCS conferences that has taken place on Week 0 since 2021
References
[edit]- ↑ Sherman, Rodger (August 27, 2019). "Why the "Week 0" College Football Game Is Here to Stay". The Ringer.
- ↑ Northam, Mitchell (September 1, 2019). "When does the 2019 college football season start?". NCAA.com.
- ↑ Godfrey, Steven (February 3, 2020). "Let's do the WEEK ZERO BIG GAME thing every year". Banner Society.
- ↑ "College Football Week 0: Money, Ratings, and the NCAA Football Schedule". Off Tackle Empire. August 23, 2019.
- ↑ "Reports: NCAA permits teams to schedule 'Week 0' games". AL.com. 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
- ↑ "DI Council introduces proposals to add 2 women's championships" (Press release). NCAA. June 25, 2025. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
- ↑ "NCAA committee approves pushing college football Week 1 up into Week Zero slot beginning in 2027 season". CBS Sports. 2026-08-28. Retrieved 2026-08-28.