'College GameDay' location for Week 1

The start of the 2026 college football season is just over a week away, with Week Zero set to start on Saturday, Aug. 29, with eight games.

Despite 16 teams hitting the field, ESPN's "College GameDay" pregame show is not set to appear until Week 1, when they head to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for the No. 23 Clemson Tigers at No. 13 LSU Tigers game on Sept. 5. It is Lane Kiffin's first year as LSU's head coach, and they are facing a Clemson team that is looking to prove they are still one of the top programs in the country.

While there are several other exciting matchups in Week 1 that GameDay could have attended, the LSU and Clemson rematch is the obvious choice. LSU won last year's matchup 17-10, and a Week 1 win over a top 25 team would be a perfect start to Kiffin's tenure. On the other hand, Dabo Swinney and Clemson picking up an upset win is just what they need after a disappointing season that has seen Miami emerge as the class of the ACC.

Other exciting matchups that week include Boise State vs. Oregon, Baylor vs. Auburn, Washington State vs. Washington, Louisville vs. Ole Miss, UCLA vs. California, and SMU vs. FSU. However, GameDay tends to focus on the games on Saturday, leaving it down to LSU, Oregon, and Washington as potential hosts, with the Tigers having the only ranked matchup.

They have also revealed where they are headed in Week 2, announcing they will be in Austin, Texas to watch the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes play the No. 4 Texas Longhorns. Both programs are entering the season with national championship aspirations, and would love a marquee non-conference win so early in the season.

The FSU Seminoles open the season against the New Mexico State Aggies in Week 0. The game is set to start at 7 p.m. ET and will be on the CW.

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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: 'College GameDay' location for Week 1