When is the first college football game? A look at most exciting matchups in the first week of 2024

Get ready, CFB fans! The 2024 college football season is ready to kick off with a bang on Saturday, August 24, for Week Zero. This early slate of games will set the stage for an exciting season ahead.

In Week Zero matchups, on 24th August, the Aer Lingus College Football Classic will see Florida State battle Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland. The FCS Kickoff will see North Alabama take the gridiron against the Southeast Missouri State.

Finally, it comes to the Week 1 showdown, when the real action begins. The fireworks start on Labor Day weekend, as North Carolina takes up arms against Minnesota on August 29. Friday night’s marquee game has TCU visiting the Stanford Cardinals.

Saturday is going to be epic. August 31 boasts the Aflac Kickoff Game between the Clemson Tigers and the Georgia Bulldogs. Penn State will be on the road against West Virginia, and Miami (FL) will take on the Florida Gators.

Night games kickoff with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish taking the fight to Texas A&M. Don't miss the Vegas Kickoff Classic on Sunday, September 1, featuring the LSU Tigers and the Southern California Gamecocks. Mark your calendars—2024 is set to be a thrilling season!

ESPN gets the ball rolling for 2024 College Football season

ESPN has always been among the premier destination for all sports fans nationwide. On Thursday’s Pat McAfee Show, host Pat McAfee unveiled the new CFB anthem, Get By, performed by Jelly Roll.

"Get By is a song that will be the song and the theme of college football. ESPN sent us a college football reel with the song on it. This the debut, ladies and gentlemen,” McAfee announced.

Jelly Roll joins an elite roster of artists who’ve crafted anthems for ESPN, including Post Malone, Fall Out Boy and Imagine Dragons. In other exciting news, TNT Sports has inked a five-year deal with ESPN to broadcast early-round CFB Playoff Games, starting in 2024.

TNT will also handle quarterfinal games from 2026. With ESPN securing exclusive CFP rights through 2031, the partnership marks a new era in college sports coverage.