How to Watch Memphis vs. UNLV: TV Channel, College Football Streaming, Kickoff Time
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Two teams with hopes of becoming the Group of Six representative in the College Football Playoff will waste little time facing a significant test.
Memphis travels to Las Vegas to face UNLV in a Week 0 matchup at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday at Allegiant Stadium.
It will also be the first meeting between the programs. UNLV is opening its 59th season of football and will begin the year in Week 0 for the second consecutive season.
The matchup features two programs undergoing significant changes while still carrying substantial expectations. UNLV enters the second season under Dan Mullen, while Memphis begins a new era under Charles Huff.
With both programs expected to contend for conference championships, Saturday night’s result could eventually have implications well beyond the opening weekend.
How to Watch Memphis vs. UNLV
Date: Saturday, Aug. 29
Kickoff: 10 p.m. ET
TV Channel:Fox
Streaming: Fox One app
Location: Allegiant Stadium; Las Vegas, Nevada
UNLV enters the matchup as a 4-point favorite, according to the odds provided by DraftKings, with the total set at 56.5 points.
UNLV Begins Life After Anthony Colandrea
One of the biggest questions surrounding Mullen’s second UNLV team is how the Rebels replace quarterback Anthony Colandrea.
Colandrea threw for 3,459 yards with 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season while adding 649 rushing yards. He led the Mountain West in passing and produced the most passing yards by a UNLV quarterback in a season since 1981.
The Rebels now have two intriguing options at quarterback in Jackson Arnold and Alex Orji.
Arnold was once a five-star prospect and spent time at Oklahoma and Auburn before arriving in Las Vegas. Orji brings another dimension with his ability as a runner after previously playing at Michigan.
Running back Jai’Den Thomas gives the new quarterbacks an established weapon in the backfield, but UNLV returns only three offensive starters. The Rebels also return just three starters defensively after finishing 126th nationally in yards per play allowed last season.
Memphis Opens New Era Under Charles Huff
There is plenty of change on the opposite sideline, too.
Huff takes over at Memphis after Ryan Silverfield departed for Arkansas. Huff previously won a Sun Belt championship at Marshall before eventually moving to Southern Miss, and he brought several players with him to Memphis as part of a substantial roster overhaul.
The Tigers also enter the opener with questions at quarterback.
West Florida transfer Marcus Stokes and former Ohio State recruit Air Noland competed for the job in new offensive coordinator Kevin Decker’s system. Decker arrives after overseeing an Old Dominion offense that ranked 17th nationally in yards per play and averaged 32 points per game last season.
Ohio State transfer running back Dallan Hayden is another name to watch for a Memphis offense that could lean heavily on its ground game and dual-threat concepts.
Saturday represents much more than a normal season opener.
Different Look for the Rebels
UNLV is considered one of the favorites in the revamped Mountain West, while Memphis is expected to contend in the American Conference. With a College Football Playoff opportunity available to the highest-ranked Group of Six champion, neither program wants to begin its season by immediately surrendering ground to another potential contender.
That should make the late-night showdown in Las Vegas one of Week 0’s most important games.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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