College football returns this week with three days of Week Zero games beginning Thursday, August 27.

The opening schedule is smaller than the full Labor Day weekend slate, but it includes Football Championship Subdivision matchups, two Atlantic Coast Conference teams, an HBCU showcase and an international game from Dublin.

Live radio coverage will be available for many of the games through university sports networks, local affiliates and official team applications. Some online broadcasts may require registration or a subscription.

Thursday, August 27

Mercyhurst at Youngstown State

• Kickoff: 6:00 p.m. Eastern
• Location: Stambaugh Stadium, Youngstown, Ohio
• Radio: Youngstown State football radio network
• Flagship station: 570 WKBN
• Online: Youngstown State Athletics game page and participating station streams

Youngstown State and Mercyhurst are among the first teams scheduled to play in the 2026 college football season.

The Penguins’ radio network provides traditional local play-by-play, pregame coverage and analysis. Listeners should check the official game page closer to kickoff for the final station and streaming links.

Several other FCS games are scheduled Thursday, including Maine at Towson, Chattanooga at West Georgia, Charleston Southern at Lindenwood and Central Arkansas at UT Martin.

Saturday, August 29

North Carolina vs. TCU in Dublin

• Kickoff: Noon Eastern, 5:00 p.m. in Ireland
• Location: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
• Event: Aer Lingus College Football Classic
• Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network and Horned Frogs Sports Network
• Online: Official North Carolina and TCU athletics platforms
• Television: ESPN

North Carolina and TCU open their seasons thousands of miles from their campuses in the weekend’s most distinctive college-football broadcast.

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic brings American college football to Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Both university radio networks are expected to provide separate live calls, allowing listeners to choose the commentary team associated with either school.

The international setting should give the announcers more to describe than the action on the field. Pregame coverage may include the teams’ experiences in Ireland, the atmosphere inside Aviva Stadium and the continuing effort to build an audience for college football overseas.

Stream access can vary, so listeners should check the official team game pages before kickoff.

NC State at Virginia

• Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. Eastern
• Location: Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, Virginia
• Radio: Virginia Sports Radio Network and Wolfpack Sports Network
• Online: Official university athletics platforms
• Television: ESPN

NC State and Virginia were originally scheduled to play in Rio de Janeiro, which would have made the game the first Football Bowl Subdivision contest in South America. Organizers later moved it to Virginia following an operational review.

The matchup remains part of the limited Week Zero schedule and will count in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings.

Virginia has confirmed coverage through the Virginia Sports Radio Network. NC State supporters can look for the Wolfpack Sports Network broadcast through its affiliates and official digital services.

Howard vs. Alabama A&M

• Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Eastern
• Location: Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta
• Event: Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff
• Radio: University and Atlanta radio coverage
• Local radio partner: Radio One Atlanta
• Television: ABC

Howard and Alabama A&M open the HBCU football season in the 2026 Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge.

The game combines live football with the music, bands, alumni traditions and community atmosphere that distinguish HBCU classics. Radio One Atlanta has been announced as the event’s exclusive local radio partner, while Alabama A&M’s schedule includes an official listening link for the game.

The broadcast offers more than play-by-play. Pregame and postgame coverage may also capture the bands and the wider celebration surrounding the matchup.

Other Week Zero Games

Additional Saturday games include:

• Southern vs. Alabama State
• New Mexico State at Florida State
• Hawaii at Stanford
• Memphis at UNLV
• Jackson State at Tennessee State
• North Carolina Central at Texas Southern
• Prairie View A&M at Tarleton State
• North Dakota State at Incarnate Word
• Morgan State at North Carolina A&T

Station assignments and kickoff times can change. Listeners should use each university’s official schedule or game page to confirm the latest radio information.

Why College Football Still Belongs on Radio

College football radio is more than an audio version of television.

Local announcers follow a team throughout the season. They understand its history, know the players and explain how an opening game fits into the larger schedule. Separate team broadcasts also let listeners hear the same game from different institutional and regional perspectives.

That human guidance is especially valuable for blind and low-vision listeners. A strong play-by-play announcer identifies formations, field position, substitutions and crowd reactions that may otherwise be difficult to follow.

Radio also remains useful for alumni and supporters who live far beyond the range of a university’s flagship station. Online streams and team applications can turn a regional broadcast into a national or international listening experience.

The Full Season Begins September 5

Week Zero provides the opening notes, but most Division I programs begin playing during the following week.

The first full Saturday arrives September 5, with a much larger selection of national and local radio broadcasts. Web Radio Info will publish a separate guide to the strongest listening choices, including Clemson against LSU.

College football returns Thursday, August 27. For radio listeners, the season begins with local announcers, university networks and live human-delivered play-by-play.

Sources

• NCAA: When the 2026 college-football season begins
• Youngstown State 2026 football schedule
• Aer Lingus College Football Classic
• TCU Athletics football schedule
• Virginia: NC State game information
• Alabama A&M 2026 football schedule
• Howard: 2026 MEAC/SWAC Challenge
• MEAC/SWAC Challenge schedule

About the Author

Karl Lee is the Editorial Director of Web Radio Info Inc., a Clearwater, Florida-based nonprofit dedicated to helping blind and low-vision listeners discover accessible, human-hosted radio, live sports, and screen-free audio.