The college football countdown is starting to reach a manageable number, but why are all the numbers different. When does the 2017 season truly start?
If you’re like me you’ve scrolled through social media over these past few weeks and seen people mention things like “50 days until college football is back” or “The Wildcats return to the field in 63 days.” It’s hard to get a good feel for when exactly college football is going to be back. That’s because there isn’t a good answer other than “soon”
August 26 – The first game
Well what to do you mean there isn’t a good answer? Won’t college football be back when the first game kicks off? By that measure the season begins on Saturday, August 26 at 2:30 p.m. ET when Oregon State and Colorado State kick off.
There is no College Gameday that morning and there are only five football games. Unless you’re floored by a star-studded matchup between South Florida and San Jose State then it’s hard to consider this college football’s true opening day.
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August 26 – The first marquee game
Stanford and Rice play later that night on August 26 in Allianz Stadium in Sydney, Australia. The catch? Kickoff is at 10 p.m. ET. If most of the country will be asleep before halftime there can’t be too much pomp and circumstances surrounding the international beginnings.
August 31 – The first day with lots of games
Gotcha. It’s not this day either. Thursday August 31 there are 15 games on the docket. That includes one matchup of Power-5 teams: Ohio State at Indiana. While there are plenty of games on, it’s still the middle of the week and the first game starts at 6:00 p.m. Realistically that means the most avid of fans will catch parts of two, maybe three games. It’s not a full day of college football, not yet.
Friday, September 1
The same issue remains on Friday. While we have another Power-5 matchup, it’s Washington versus Rutgers. There are only eight games and they’re all packed into the evening. We’re getting closer, but it’s not college football season yet.
Saturday, September 2
A full week removed from the first kick off of the year, Saturday, September 2 is the true start of the college football season. If you’re not a fan of one of those handful of teams that plays in the week leading up to the big day, you’re waiting with anticipation for a full Saturday of college football in all its glory. Florida v. Michigan, BYU v. LSU and Florida State v. Alabama. Big name teams playing in big time games. It’s several days after the first tease of football season, but rest assured it will be well worth the wait.
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Then, after a full Saturday of college football, we get treated to an encore. There are two games Sunday night at 7:30 p.m.: West Virginia v. Virginia Tech and UCLA v. Texas A&M. The next day, Monday, September 4, the first week of college football wraps up with Tennessee v. Georgia Tech. That’s a lot of football. I can’t wait.