Looking for the college football games this weekend? Week 3 of the 2026 college football season brings a full slate of games across the country, with action beginning Friday night and continuing throughout Saturday.
Fans can watch ranked teams, conference matchups, rivalry games and several important early-season tests. Major games this weekend include Miami at Wake Forest, Houston at Texas Tech, Georgia at Arkansas, Florida State at Alabama, LSU at Ole Miss, Michigan State at Notre Dame and UTSA at Texas.
This guide covers the college football schedule this weekend, including game dates, kickoff times and TV networks.
College Football Games This Weekend
Week 3 begins on Friday, September 18, before a packed Saturday schedule on September 19.
Kickoff times below are listed in Eastern Time (ET).
| Date | Game | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Sept. 18 | Miami at Wake Forest | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Friday, Sept. 18 | Houston at Texas Tech | 8:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Friday, Sept. 18 | Portland State at Oregon | 10:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network |
| Saturday, Sept. 19 | Georgia at Arkansas | 12:00 p.m. | ABC |
| Saturday, Sept. 19 | Kent State at Ohio State | 12:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Saturday, Sept. 19 | Florida State at Alabama | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Saturday, Sept. 19 | Kentucky at Texas A&M | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Saturday, Sept. 19 | LSU at Ole Miss | 7:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Saturday, Sept. 19 | New Mexico at Oklahoma | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Saturday, Sept. 19 | Kennesaw State at Tennessee | 7:45 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Saturday, Sept. 19 | UTSA at Texas | 8:00 p.m. | SEC Network+ |
The NCAA’s current Week 3 television schedule lists these games along with a much larger Saturday slate. Network assignments and kickoff information can change, so fans should confirm details before game time.
Friday Night College Football Games
The weekend starts with three FBS games on Friday night.
Miami at Wake Forest
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
No. 5 Miami travels to Wake Forest for an ACC matchup on Friday night.
The Hurricanes enter the weekend ranked in the AP Top 25, making this one of the nationally followed games on the opening night of Week 3.
Houston at Texas Tech
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Houston visits Texas Tech in a Big 12 matchup.
Both teams enter the game ranked in the AP Top 25, giving this Friday night contest additional attention among college football fans.
Portland State at Oregon
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network
The final FBS game on Friday sends Portland State to Eugene to face Oregon.
The late kickoff gives fans another opportunity to watch college football after the earlier Friday games finish.
Saturday Morning College Football Games
Saturday’s schedule begins around midday Eastern Time with games across the ACC, Big Ten, SEC and other conferences.
Georgia at Arkansas
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
No. 2 Georgia travels to Arkansas for an SEC matchup.
The game marks Georgia’s first road contest of the 2026 season. Arkansas enters SEC play after a road loss at Utah in Week 2.
Kent State at Ohio State
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
No. 6 Ohio State hosts Kent State at Ohio Stadium.
The Buckeyes are one of several highly ranked teams playing in the early Saturday window.
North Carolina at Clemson
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN/Disney+
North Carolina visits Clemson in an ACC matchup.
The game is part of a busy noon window that also includes Georgia at Arkansas, Kent State at Ohio State and several other nationally televised contests.
Afternoon College Football Games
The afternoon brings several conference games featuring ranked teams.
Florida State at Alabama
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Florida State travels to Tuscaloosa to face No. 10 Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The matchup is one of the major afternoon games on the college football games this weekend schedule and gives fans an SEC-ACC matchup between two nationally recognized programs.
Kentucky at Texas A&M
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Kentucky visits No. 9 Texas A&M at Kyle Field.
The Aggies enter the game ranked in the AP Top 25, while Kentucky looks to challenge Texas A&M on the road.
SMU at Louisville
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
SMU travels to Louisville for an ACC matchup.
Both teams are ranked in the current AP Top 25, making this another ranked-versus-ranked game on Saturday’s schedule.
Saturday Night College Football Games
The evening schedule features several nationally followed games.
LSU at Ole Miss
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
No. 7 LSU travels to Oxford to face No. 8 Ole Miss.
The matchup is one of the ranked SEC games scheduled for Saturday night. Fans looking for a conference game with major national attention will find it in the evening window.
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Michigan State visits No. 3 Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium.
The game is scheduled for national coverage on NBC, adding another prominent matchup to Saturday night’s college football lineup.
New Mexico at Oklahoma
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
New Mexico travels to Norman to face No. 24 Oklahoma.
The game is part of a busy 7:30 p.m. ET window that also includes LSU at Ole Miss and Michigan State at Notre Dame.
Kennesaw State at Tennessee
Time: 7:45 p.m. ET
TV: SEC Network
Kennesaw State visits Tennessee at Neyland Stadium.
The SEC Network carries the game, giving fans another option during the Saturday night schedule.
UTSA at Texas
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
TV: SEC Network+
UTSA travels to Austin to face No. 1 Texas at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Texas enters the weekend at the top of the AP Top 25 after its Week 2 win over Ohio State.
College Football Games to Put on Your Calendar
If you cannot watch every game this weekend, several matchups have especially notable storylines.
Georgia at Arkansas
Georgia begins SEC road play against Arkansas at noon ET. The Bulldogs enter the game ranked No. 2 nationally.
Florida State at Alabama
Florida State and No. 10 Alabama meet at Bryant-Denny Stadium at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
LSU at Ole Miss
No. 7 LSU and No. 8 Ole Miss meet in Oxford at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Michigan State visits No. 3 Notre Dame for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on NBC.
UTSA at Texas
No. 1 Texas hosts UTSA at 8:00 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.
What Time Does College Football Start This Weekend?
College football action begins Friday evening with Miami at Wake Forest at 7:30 p.m. ET.
On Saturday, games begin as early as 11:30 a.m. ET with Coastal Carolina at Delaware. The main noon window then features several FBS games, followed by afternoon and evening matchups.
Because games are spread across multiple networks, fans can follow college football throughout most of the day.
Where Can You Watch College Football This Weekend?
College football games this weekend are available across several networks and streaming services.
Depending on the matchup, games can appear on:
- ABC
- ESPN
- ESPN2
- FOX
- NBC
- Big Ten Network
- SEC Network
- SEC Network+
- ACC Network
- CBS Sports Network
- Peacock
- Other conference and streaming platforms
The exact network depends on the individual game. The NCAA’s current television schedule provides the latest published listings for Week 3.
College Football Schedule This Weekend: Quick Guide
Here are several of the main games to remember:
Friday, September 18
- Miami at Wake Forest — 7:30 p.m. ET
- Houston at Texas Tech — 8:00 p.m. ET
- Portland State at Oregon — 10:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, September 19
- Georgia at Arkansas — 12:00 p.m. ET
- Kent State at Ohio State — 12:00 p.m. ET
- Florida State at Alabama — 3:30 p.m. ET
- Kentucky at Texas A&M — 3:30 p.m. ET
- LSU at Ole Miss — 7:30 p.m. ET
- Michigan State at Notre Dame — 7:30 p.m. ET
- New Mexico at Oklahoma — 7:30 p.m. ET
- Kennesaw State at Tennessee — 7:45 p.m. ET
- UTSA at Texas — 8:00 p.m. ET
Final Thoughts
The college football games this weekend schedule gives fans plenty of options from Friday night through Saturday evening.
Week 3 includes ranked matchups, SEC conference games, ACC competition, Big Ten action and several nationally televised contests. Georgia at Arkansas, Florida State at Alabama, LSU at Ole Miss, Michigan State at Notre Dame and UTSA at Texas are among the games drawing significant attention.
Kickoff times and television assignments can change, so check the latest schedule before game day.
For fans who want to follow college football throughout the season, bookmarking this page and checking back each week can make it easier to find the latest college football games, schedules and TV information.