After an often grueling wait of over seven months, going back to Indiana's win over Miami in the national championship game on Jan. 19, college football is back.
And the official kickoff to the 2026 season is happening in what's becoming a familiar location for college football fans around the country.
Watch North Carolina vs. TCU football live with Fubo (free trial)
Following a spectacularly dismal first season under Bill Belichick, North Carolina will try to get things turned around under the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach when it takes on TCU at Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday, Aug. 29 in the first official game of the 2026 college football season.
The contest is a rematch of the Horned Frogs' 48-14 blowout of the Tar Heels in the 2025
season-opener for both teams.
The lopsided loss was the harbinger of a 4-8 season for North Carolina, with five of those eight losses coming by at least 16 points. Belichick overhauled the team's roster in the offseason, bringing in a top-20 freshman class that features 40 players, as well as hiring Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator to turn around a unit that averaged just 19.3 points per game last season.
TCU, meanwhile, is coming off its second-consecutive 9-4 season and heads into the 2026 campaign with a new quarterback, Harvard transfer Jaden Craig, after Josh Hoover transferred to reigning national champion Indiana after throwing for 7,421 yards and 56 touchdowns over the past two seasons. The Horned Frogs have the third-most votes of teams outside the top 25 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll.
Here's how to watch the North Carolina vs. TCU game, including the TV channel, start time, streaming information and more:
What TV channel is UNC vs TCU on today?
- TV channel: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)
North Carolina and TCU football's 2026 season-opener will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Mike Monaco (play-by-play) and Jordan Rodgers (analyst) will be on the call while Dana Boyle will serve as the sideline reporter.
Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app, which requires a valid cable login to access, and Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
UNC vs TCU time today
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 29
- Start time: Noon ET
- Location: Aviva Stadium (Dublin)
North Carolina and TCU are scheduled for a noon ET kickoff on Aug. 29 from Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The game, dubbed the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, is the official kickoff to the 2026 college football season.
UNC vs TCU picks, predictions, odds
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Wednesday , August 26
- Spread: TCU (-8.5)
- Over/under: 46.5 points
- Moneyline: TCU (-325) | North Carolina (+260)
Prediction: TCU 34, North Carolina 17
It won't be quite as embarrassing for the Tar Heels as last season's demolition — how could it be? — but even with Petrino calling plays, the North Carolina offense won't have the firepower to keep up with a Horned Frogs team that should make some noise in the Big 12 this season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where to watch North Carolina vs TCU football today: Time, TV channel for Dublin game
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