Week 1 of the 2026 college football season began on Thursday, Sept. 3, and it wasted no time turning into a night of ranked wins and jolting upsets. No. 25 Missouri beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff, No. 21 Utah defeated Idaho, Colorado shocked Georgia Tech with a walk-off blocked field goal and UMass beat Rutgers.
That made the opening night of the season feel less like a warmup and more like a statement. Indiana had finished last season by defeating Miami in the national championship, and the first Thursday of this season immediately reminded everyone how quickly a new year can tilt. For readers searching for college football games tonight, the answer was not just who played, but which results already changed the tone of Week 1.
The early slate also stretched the start of the season across several days, with Week 1 matchups running from Sept. 3 through Monday, Sept. 7. That meant the first full week was not confined to a single kickoff window; it unfolded across a long Labor Day-linked run of games that kept the opening weekend moving well after Thursday night.
The broadcast picture was just as spread out. Games on Thursday, Sept. 3 aired on Big Ten Network, ACC Network, SEC Network, ESPNU and, with each of those telecasts also available through the app for viewers who logged in with a TV provider or through Fubo. Some Thursday games were carried only on + or Peacock, adding another layer to a night that could be watched on television or streamed, depending on the matchup.
Among the results, UMass provided the most striking break from expectation. It beat Rutgers and pulled off what was described as a monster upset, while also earning its first win over a Power Four conference team since joining the FBS in 2012. That kind of result is the sort that sticks because it changes how a season is discussed before most teams have even settled in.
Colorado’s finish carried a different kind of drama, but the effect was the same. A walk-off blocked field goal does more than end a game; it turns one play into the memory that defines the night. Missouri and Utah also handled business against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Idaho, giving ranked teams a clean start while the upset column did the work of making Thursday feel bigger than an ordinary season opener.
What comes next is already set: more Week 1 matchups through Monday, Sept. 7, with the opening stretch still wide open for more ranking changes and more outcomes that can reshape the early conversation.
