What is Week 0 of college football? Exploring the NCAA rule book ahead of the 2023 season

Week 0 of college football can confuse your beloved newcomer fan. But it doesn't have to be. It's an integral part of any CFB season, and the upcoming one is no different. All the games and predictions fans and experts make here can help indicate which teams will win it all moving forward.

That said, we will explore the actual purpose of CFB Week 0. So read along!

What is Week 0 exactly?

Week 0 is when a small number of games are played before everyone else gets to play their matchups in Week 1. The NCAA awards waivers for these early games for two main reasons.

One is to bring a game to a national TV audience, and two, as part of the "Hawaii Rule." This rule allows teams that play a game in Hawaii an extra home game to manage travel expenses. We'll go in deeper about this rule later.

When does Week 0 of college football start?

Week 0 starts on Aug. 26, which is a Saturday. And as described, ten early Division I games are slated for Week 0 of the 2023 college football season. Here is a quick rundown of the games scheduled. All times are p.m. ET.

• North Alabama vs. Mercer (3:30, ESPN)
• Fordham vs. UAlbany (7:00, FloSports)
• SC State vs. Jackson State (7:30, ABC)
• Navy vs. Notre Dame (2:30, NBC/Peacock)
• Umass vs. NM State (7:00, ESPN)
• Ohio vs. San Diego State (7:00, Fox Sports 1)
• Hawaii vs. Vanderbilt (7:30, SEC Network)
• San Jose State vs. USC (8:00, Pac-12 Network)
• FIU vs. Louisiana Tech (9:00, CBS Sports Network)

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What is the point of Week 0 in college football?

We're going back to the Hawaii Rule again to explain the purpose of Week 0.

The University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors are the main reason for their namesake rule. As previously said, traveling from the islands to the continental U.S. and back costs way too much.

This is why the team was allowed an extra home game, so they don't spend too much just traveling to and fro. And in 2016, all the other college football teams were also given this option.

But it's not just Hawaii. Any other team could apply to play for Week 0 for specific circumstances. One excellent example is the upcoming Navy vs. Notre Dame game in Dublin, Ireland. Over time, those travel costs can definitely pile up.

So now that you're all caught up, who are your picks for the victors during the 2023 college football season's Week 0?