LSU and Clemson will open the season Saturday, Aug. 30, in prime time on ABC with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. from Memorial Stadium.

The 2025-26 season kicks off with the Aer Lingus College Football Classic featuring No. 14 Iowa State and No. 18 Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland. The Week 0 Big 12 battle begins at noon ET on Saturday, Aug. 23, on ESPN. The traditional start to the season is Week 1, with nine cross-conference clashes on ABC and ESPN. Highlights include:

Coach Dabo Swinney’s Tigers went 10-4 last season and returned to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2020. Clemson returns star quarterback Cade Klubnik (43 total touchdowns) and 15 other starters on offense and defense and ranks No. 1 in the country in total returning production, per ESPN.