If you share a home with someone whose year revolves around football, you likely know that the 2026 regular season is coming up quickly.
But don’t fret; you don’t have to reschedule your weekly social calendar just yet. There's still a little over a month until the start of the NFL regular season, although college football starts sooner.
Here’s when the NFL and NCAA 2026 football seasons start, a list of dates for each Florida team’s first game and when the season ends (for those who are wondering when their weekends can return to normal).
What date does football season start in 2026?
The first day of college football is usually the Saturday before Labor Day. It often falls in August but can fall in September.
The NFL Kickoff
Game, which is the first game of the regular season, usually falls on the Thursday following Labor Day, which is in September. This year, the first regular season NFL game falls on the Wednesday after Labor Day.
How long does the NFL, college football season last?
The regular NFL season lasts 18 weeks and concludes in January, followed by playoff games which lead to the Super Bowl in February.
The regular college football season usually lasts 14 weeks, concluding with championship games in December.
When does the 2026 NFL season start?
The 2026 NFL regular season starts on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at the home of reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks.
The New England Patriots will hit the road to play the Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle, with kickoff scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET.
First Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Bucs games of 2026
Here are the first regular-season games of 2026 for Florida’s NFL teams:
- Miami Dolphins v. Las Vegas Raiders:
- Sunday, Sept. 13 | at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada | airing on FOX | kickoff at 4:25 pm. ET
- Jacksonville Jaguars v. Cleveland Browns:
- Sunday, Sept. 13 | at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida | airing on CBS | kickoff at 1 p.m. ET
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers v. Cincinnati Bengals:
- Sunday, Sept. 13 | at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio | airing on FOX | kickoff at 1 p.m. ET
When does the 2026 college football season start?
The 2026 regular season for college football kicks off at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 29, with the North Carolina Tar Heels and the TCU Horned Frogs facing off at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.
First Gators, Seminoles football games 2026
Here are the first regular-season football games for UF and FSU in 2026:
- Florida Gators v. Florida Atlantic University:
- Saturday, Sept. 5 | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida | airing on the SEC Network | kickoff at 7:45 p.m. ET
- Florida State Seminoles v. New Mexico State:
- Saturday, August. 29 | at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida | airing on The CW | kickoff at 7 p.m. ET
To see the full Week 1 schedule for the NCAA 2026 football season, including other Florida teams like UCF and USF, visit ESPN's web page with the week-by-week game schedule.
Lianna Norman is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, lotteries, rocket launches, Florida wildlife, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: When do NFL, college football seasons start? Florida teams’ first games
