Texas A&M’s home opener vs. Nicholls State set for 6 p.m. kickoff

The kickoff time for Texas A&M’s home opener against Nicholls State on Sept. 9 has been set for 6 p.m. (CT) at Kyle Field and will be televised nationally by ESPNU. It will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

Kyle Field has been a graveyard for non-conference opponents in recent years. The Aggies will seeking their 24th straight victory against out-of-conference foes on their home turf against the Colonels. The streak dates back to 2008 when the Aggies fell to the Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes, 41-23, on Sept. 20, 2008.

Full ESPN release below:

ESPN’s leading position in college football is unrivaled with the unveiling of the sport’s early season network schedule. More than 100 games from all 10 FBS Conferences plus BYU will be televised or streamed in the first three weeks of the season on ESPN’s networks, representing more games across more conferences than any other network. The FCS will once again be a part of ESPN’s complete college football offering, starting in week 0. ESPN’s early season schedule sets the table for the industry-leading complete season slate which concludes with the Division I Football Championship (FCS) the New Year’s Six games and College Football Playoff National Championship (FBS).

Week 1: ESPN Opens the College Football Season with the Sport’s Best Schedule

ESPN/ABC’s industry-best five-day opening week slate (Aug. 31 – Sept. 4) was announced last week, headlined by the first 2017 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game: Florida State vs. Alabama (Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. ET), the season-opener for ABC’s Saturday Night Football – 2016’s most-watched college football franchise on any network. Additional games in last week’s announcement include Ohio State at Indiana (Thursday, Aug. 31), Clemson hosting Kent State, Michigan vs. Florida, Penn State hosting Akron, BYU vs. LSU and the two special prime-time games on Sunday, Sept. 3, and Labor Day Night (Sept. 4), respectively: West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech and Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech. The game times and network schedules can be seen here or below.

The ESPN’s networks complete week 1 slate includes more than 30 games over Labor Day weekend. The additional games added to the schedule include:

· Lane Kiffin’s Debut: Head coach Lane Kiffin will make his Florida Atlantic debut when the Owls host Navy (Fri, Sept. 1 at 8 p.m.) on ESPNU

· Return of Sparty: Michigan State will play their opener on ESPNU, adding to the marquee Big Ten games on ESPN’s networks in the season’s first week. The Spartans host Bowling Green on the season’s first full Saturday (noon).

SEC Network Begins Its Fourth Football Season

SEC Network begins its fourth football season with Arkansas hosting Florida A&M from Little Rock, Ark., at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31, the first of four games on the network in the season’s first week. Over the course of the first three weeks of the season, SEC Network will air 15 games, with a complete schedule, including game times, announced soon.

ACC Network Extra Streams Numerous ACC Home Openers

ACC Network Extra streams the home openers for Duke, North Carolina, Miami, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia and Wake Forest in week 1. Throughout the season, the digital network will carry a number of games from ACC stadiums.

ESPN3 Begins Season Slate

ESPN3 will stream more than a dozen games to begin the season, beginning a slate that will see the network carry numerous games each week of the season.

Week 2: Top 10 Matchup between Oklahoma and Ohio State Headline A Number of Non-Conference Showdowns

A number of key non-conference showdowns across ESPN’s networks highlight the season’s second week with none bigger than ABC’s Saturday Night Football presentation of Oklahoma at Ohio State (Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m.). The Sooners-Buckeyes Big 12-Big Ten battle will be played on the same day as:

· The Battle of Pennsylvania: Penn State plays Pittsburgh (3:30 p.m., ABC) for the 98th time in the schools’ histories; however, the Panthers travel to State College, Pa., for the first-time since 1999. The Nittany Lions lead the all-time series with 50 wins, 43 losses and four ties, but the Panthers have won the last two meetings, including delivering the Nittany Lions one of their two losses last season.

· SEC vs. ACC: The College Football Playoff National Champion Clemson Tigers play their first game of the season under the lights in Death Valley when they host Auburn (7 p.m., ESPN). The two teams have a storied history, first playing in 1902 and meeting 50 times overall. Auburn holds the upper hand with 34 wins in the series and two ties; however, they haven’t won in Memorial Stadium since 1970.

· Battle in the Beehive: One of the sport’s best rivalries is renewed when Utah travels to face BYU (10:15 p.m., ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU). The Utes have won the last six meetings between the two schools separated by approximately 50 miles and 56 of their 91 overall meetings.

Michigan’s home opener vs. Cincinnati (noon), Iowa at Iowa State (noon), Boise State at Washington State (10:30 p.m.) and Houston at Arizona (10:30 p.m.) are ESPN’s additional non-conference matchups in week 2. In conference play, Lamar Jackson and the Louisville Cardinals will travel to North Carolina (noon) as the two teams open their ACC schedule. More details on the network designations can be found below.

Longhorn Network Airs Texas Football Games for Seventh Consecutive Year

Longhorn Network will exclusively televise select Texas football games for the seventh straight year, beginning when the Longhorns host San Jose State (Sept. 9 at 3:30 p.m.). The 24-hour network devoted to the University of Texas will also televise the Longhorns’ conference matchup vs. Kansas later in the season (Nov. 11 at 6 p.m.). More details on LHN’s production can be found here.

Week 3: Miami-Florida State Continue Their Rivalry; Lamar Jackson, Louisville Cardinals Seek Revenge vs. Clemson

Both traditional and budding ACC rivalries headline week 3, when Miami travels to Florida State and Clemson plays at Louisville. The Hurricanes-Seminoles’ 62nd meeting all-time will air on ABC’s Saturday Night Football (8 p.m.) following the Tigers trip to Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium to take on Heisman-winning QB Lamar Jackson and the Cardinals (3:30 p.m., ABC or ESPN).

Both matchups last season were decided on the final plays of the fourth quarter and among the top games of the year. In Miami, the Seminoles blocked Miami’s extra point with under two minutes to go that would have tied the game, leading to their 20-19 victory. In Clemson, the Tigers held on for a 42-36 victory, in a game that featured the Tigers up 28-10 at halftime and then trailing 36-28 in the fourth quarter.

The SEC West will also play an intra-division matchup in primetime when LSU visits Mississippi State (7 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2).

Non-conference games of importance will also be scattered throughout the day, including:

· The Battle in Provo: Wisconsin travels to BYU (3:30 p.m., ABC or ESPN) for a rare matchup between the Badgers and Cougars. This is just the third all-time meeting between the two schools and the first ever in Provo, Utah.

· Rosen Goes to Memphis: UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen, a Heisman Trophy candidate, and the Bruins travel to Memphis to take on the Memphis Tigers (noon, ABC/ESPN2).

· Big 12 at ACC: Oklahoma State makes its first ever trip to the Steel City, as it plays Pittsburgh (noon, ABC/ ESPN2). The schools met for the first-time ever last season, with the Cowboys winning 45-38.

· Sweet Home Alabama: The Crimson Tide play their second consecutive home game, hosting Colorado State for the second-time ever (7 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2).

ESPN will begin the day with Notre Dame at Boston College (noon) and conclude with Ole Miss at Cal (10:30 p.m.)

Week 0: Stanford vs. Rice from Australia Caps Tripleheader on ESPN

ESPN gets the season started in the ever-growing Week 0. For the second straight year, the late August weekend has an international feel as Stanford plays Rice from Sydney, Australia (10 p.m.) on ESPN. The network’s tripleheader begins with Portland State at BYU (3 p.m.) followed by the 2017 Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff between Chattanooga and Jacksonville State (6:30 p.m.). ESPNU will also air two games during Week 0: Colgate at Cal Poly (7 p.m.) on the Saturday and Richmond at Sam Houston State (7 p.m.) on Sunday, Aug. 27.

ESPN’s 2017 College Football Schedule

Week 0 Schedule

Date

Time (ET)

Game

Network

Sat, Aug. 26

3 p.m.

Portland State at BYU

ESPN

6:30 p.m.

2017 Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff: Chattanooga vs. Jacksonville State

ESPN

7 p.m.

Colgate at Cal Poly

ESPNU

10 p.m.

Stanford vs. Rice from Sydney, Australia

ESPN

Sun, Aug. 27

7 p.m.

Richmond at Sam Houston State

ESPNU

Week 1 Schedule

Date

Time (ET)

Game

Network

Thu, Aug. 31

6:30 p.m.

Presbyterian at Wake Forest

ACC Network Extra

7 p.m.

Elon at Toledo

ESPN3

Rhode Island at Central Michigan

ESPN3

Tennessee State at Georgia State

ESPN3

Austin Peay at Cincinnati

ESPN3

Holy Cross at UConn

ESPN3

8 p.m.

Ohio State at Indiana

ESPN

Florida A&M at Arkansas from Little Rock, Ark.

SEC Network

9 p.m.

Sacramento State at Idaho

ESPN3

Fri, Sept. 1

6:30 p.m.

Charlotte at Eastern Michigan

ESPN3

7 p.m.

Central Connecticut State at Syracuse

ACC Network Extra

8 p.m.

Navy at Florida Atlantic

ESPNU

9 p.m.

Utah State at Wisconsin

ESPN

Sat, Sept. 2

Noon

Akron at Penn State

ABC

Kent State at Clemson

ESPN

Bowling Green at Michigan State

ESPNU

12:20 p.m.

California at North Carolina

ACC Network Extra

12:30 p.m.

Bethune-Cookman at Miami

ACC Network Extra

1 p.m.

Youngstown State at Pittsburgh

ACC Network Extra

3 p.m.

NC State vs. South Carolina from Charlotte

ESPN

3:30 p.m.

Michigan vs. Florida from Arlington, Texas

ABC

William & Mary at Virginia

ACC Network Extra

3:45 p.m.

Troy at Boise State

ESPNU

4 p.m.

Stony Brook at South Florida

ESPN3

6 p.m.

James Madison at East Carolina

ESPN3

North Carolina Central at Duke

ACC Network Extra

6:15 p.m.

Appalachian State at Georgia

ESPN

7 p.m.

Hampton at Ohio

ESPN3

Stephen F. Austin at SMU

ESPN3

UMass at Coastal Carolina

ESPN3

Southeastern Louisiana at Louisiana-Lafayette

ESPN3

Houston Baptist at Texas State

ESPN3

7:30 p.m.

South Alabama at Ole Miss

ESPNU

8 p.m.

2017 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game: Florida State vs. Alabama from Atlanta

ABC

Grambling at Tulane

ESPN3

9:30 p.m.

2017 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff: BYU vs. LSU from Houston

ESPN

Sun, Sept. 3

2:30 p.m.

2017 MEAC/SWAC Challenge: South Carolina State at Southern

ESPN2

7:30 p.m.

West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech from Landover, Md.

ABC

Mon, Sept. 4

8 p.m.

2017 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game: Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech from Atlanta

ESPN

Week 2 Schedule

Date

Time (ET)

Game

Network

Fri, Sept. 8

8 p.m.

Oklahoma State at South Alabama

ESPN2

Sat, Sept. 9

Noon

Cincinnati at Michigan

ABC or ESPN

Louisville at North Carolina

ABC or ESPN or ESPN2

Iowa at Iowa State

ESPN or ESPN2

Northwestern at Duke

ESPNU

South Florida at UConn

ESPNEWS

12:30 p.m.

Jacksonville at Georgia Tech

ACC Network Extra

1 p.m.

Wake Forest at Boston College

ACC Network Extra

3 p.m.

UAB at Ball State

ESPN3

3:30 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Penn State

ABC

Fresno State at Alabama

ESPN2

Miami at Arkansas State

ESPNU

San Jose State at Texas

Longhorn Network

Howard at Kent State

ESPN3

Eastern Illinois at Northern Illinois

ESPN3

Savannah State at Appalachian State

ESPN3

Austin Peay at Miami (Ohio)

ESPN3

Villanova at Temple

ESPN3

Middle Tennessee at Syracuse

ACC Network Extra

Indiana at Virginia

ACC Network Extra

Delaware at Virginia Tech

ACC Network Extra

4 p.m.

Louisiana-Lafayette at Tulsa

ESPN3

6 p.m.

South Dakota at Bowling Green

ESPN3

New Hampshire at Georgia Southern

ESPN3

Alabama State at Troy

ESPN3

Marshall at NC State

ACC Network Extra

6:30 p.m.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Akron

ESPN3

7 p.m.

Auburn at Clemson

ESPN

South Carolina at Missouri

ESPN2

Nicholls at Texas A&M

ESPNU

North Texas at SMU

ESPN3

Toledo at Nevada

ESPN3

Louisiana-Monroe at Florida State

ACC Network Extra

7:30 p.m.

Oklahoma at Ohio State

ABC

8 p.m.

Memphis at UCF

ESPNEWS

9 p.m.

UNLV at Idaho

ESPN3

10:15 p.m.

Utah at BYU

ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU

10:30 p.m.

Boise State at Washington State

ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU

Houston at Arizona

ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU

Week 3 Schedule

Date

Time (ET)

Game

Network

Thu, Sept. 14

8 p.m.

New Mexico at Boise State

ESPN

Fri, Sept. 15

7 p.m.

Illinois at South Florida

ESPN

Massachusetts at Temple

ESPNU

10:15 p.m.

Arizona at UTEP

ESPN

Sat, Sept. 16

Noon

UCLA at Memphis

ABC or ESPN2

Oklahoma State at Pittsburgh

ABC or ESPN2

Notre Dame at Boston College

ESPN

UConn at Virginia

ESPNU

12:20 p.m.

Furman at NC State

ACC Network Extra

12:30 p.m.

Baylor at Duke

ACC Network Extra

2 p.m.

Kansas at Ohio

ESPN3

3 p.m.

Tennessee Tech at Ball State

ESPN3

Utah State at Wake Forest

ACC Network Extra

3:30 p.m.

Clemson at Louisville

ABC or ESPN

Wisconsin at BYU

ABC or ESPN

North Texas at Iowa

ESPN2

SMU at TCU

ESPNU

Central Michigan at Syracuse

ACC Network Extra

6 p.m.

Colgate at Buffalo

ESPN3

7 p.m.

LSU at Mississippi State

ESPN or ESPN2

Colorado State at Alabama

ESPN or ESPN2

Idaho at Western Michigan

ESPN3

Tulsa at Toledo

ESPN3

Appalachian State at Texas State

ESPN3

Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Arkansas State

ESPN3

Southern Miss at Louisiana-Monroe

ESPN3

Alabama A&M at South Alabama

ESPN3

7:30 p.m.

Kansas State at Vanderbilt

ESPNU

Georgia Tech at UCF

ESPNEWS

8 p.m.

Miami at Florida State

ABC

Rice at Houston

ESPN3

Troy at New Mexico State

ESPN3

10 p.m.

San Jose State at Utah

ESPN2

10:30 p.m.

Ole Miss at California

ESPN

Week 4 and Beyond

Date

Time (ET)

Game

Network

Sept. 21

7:30 p.m. or 8 p.m.

Temple at South Florida

ESPN

Sept. 22

8 p.m.

Virginia at Boise State

ESPN or ESPN2

Sept. 23

7 p.m.

Arkansas State at SMU

ESPN3

TBD

Hawaii at Wyoming

Sept. 28

7:30 p.m. or 8 p.m.

Texas at Iowa State

ESPN

Sept. 29

7 p.m.

Miami at Duke

ESPN

10:30 p.m.

USC at Washington State

ESPN

Sept. 30

6:30 p.m.

Maine at UCF

ESPN3

TBD

San Jose State at UNLV

TBD

Oct. 4

8 p.m.

Arkansas State at Georgia Southern

ESPN2

Oct. 5

8 p.m.

Louisville at NC State

ESPN

Oct. 6

7 p.m.

Memphis at UConn

ESPN

10:15 p.m.

Boise State at BYU

ESPN

Oct. 7

TBD

San Diego State at UNLV

TBD

Oct. 11

8 p.m.

South Alabama at Troy

ESPN2

Oct. 12

7:30 p.m.

Texas State at Louisiana-Lafayette

ESPNU

8 p.m.

Georgia Tech at Miami

ESPN

Oct. 13

7 p.m.

Clemson at Syracuse

ESPN

10:30 P.M.

Washington State at Cal

ESPN

Oct. 14

TBD

Northwestern at Maryland

TBD

TBD

Nevada at Colorado State

TBD

Oct. 19

7:30 p.m.

Louisiana-Lafayette at Arkansas State

ESPNU

8 p.m.

Memphis at Houston

ESPN

Oct. 20

7 p.m.

Marshall at Middle Tennessee

ESPN2

10:15 p.m.

Colorado State at New Mexico

ESPN2

Oct. 21

Wyoming at Boise State

Oct. 26

7:30 p.m.

South Alabama at Georgia State

ESPNU

9 p.m.

Stanford at Oregon State

ESPN

Oct. 27

8 p.m.

Florida State at Boston College

ESPN

9 p.m.

Tulsa at SMU

ESPN2

Oct. 28

TBD

Michigan State at Northwestern

TBD

TBD

New Mexico at Wyoming

TBD

TBD

San Diego State at Hawaii

TBD

Oct. 31

7:30 p.m. or 8 p.m.

Bowling Green at Kent State

ESPN2 or ESPNU

7:30 p.m. or 8 p.m.

Miami (Ohio) at Ohio

ESPN2 or ESPNU

Nov. 1

8 p.m.

Central Michigan at Western Michigan

ESPN2

Nov. 2

7:30 p.m. or 8 p.m.

Navy at Temple

ESPN

9:15 p.m.

Idaho at Troy

ESPNU

Nov. 3

8 p.m.

Memphis at Tulsa

ESPN2

Nov. 4

TBD

BYU at Fresno State

TBD

TBD

San Diego State at San Jose State

TBD

TBD

Nevada at Boise State

TBD

Nov. 7

7:30 p.m.

Bowling Green at Buffalo

ESPN2 or ESPNU

Akron at Miami (Ohio)

ESPN2 or ESPNU

Nov. 9

7:30 p.m.

Georgia Southern at Appalachian State

ESPNU

8 p.m.

North Carolina at Pittsburgh

ESPN

Nov. 10

7 p.m.

Temple at Cincinnati

ESPN2

10:30 p.m.

BYU at UNLV

ESPN2

Nov. 11

TBD

Wyoming at Air Force

TBD

TBD

San Jose State at Nevada

TBD

6 p.m.

Kansas at Texas

Longhorn Network AND Jayhawk TV

Nov. 14

TBD

Ohio at Akron

ESPN2 or ESPNU

TBD

Central Michigan at Kent State

ESPN2 or ESPNU

Nov. 16

7:30 p.m. or 8 p.m.

Tulsa at South Florida

ESPN

Nov. 17

9:30 p.m.

UNLV at New Mexico

ESPN2

Nov. 18

TBD

Air Force at Boise State

TBD

Nov. 21

TBD

Kent State at Akron

ESPNU or ESPN3

TBD

Miami (Ohio) at Ball State

ESPNU or ESPN3

TBD

Bowling Green at Eastern Michigan

ESPNU or ESPN3

Nov. 23

7:30 p.m.

Ole Miss at Mississippi State

ESPN

Nov. 24

TBD

Miami at Pittsburgh

TBD

TBD

Virginia Tech at Virginia

TBD

TBD

Navy at Houston

TBD

TBD

South Florida at UCF

TBD

Nov. 25

TBD

Oregon State at Oregon

TBD

TBD

Utah State at Air Force

TBD

TBD

Wyoming at San Jose State

TBD

TBD

Texas San-Antonio at Louisiana Tech

TBD

Dec. 2

TBD

2017 Marathon MAC Championship

ABC, ESPN or ESPN2

7:45 p.m. or 8 p.m.

Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game

ABC or ESPN

TBD

2017 American Championship Game

ABC or ESPN

TBD

2017 Mountain West Championship Game

ABC, ESPN or ESPN2

TBD

2017 Conference USA Championship Game

ABC, ESPN or ESPN2

Note: Not all ESPN3 and ACC Network Extra games are exclusive