Week 0
Week 0 (or Week Zero) refers to the opening weekend of college football games in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), in which a small number of games are played to begin the regular season, a week before the vast majority of teams begin their season in "Week 1".[1][2][3] Although the FBS football season has traditionally begun on the first Saturday before Labor Day, the NCAA has sporadically awarded waivers for games to be played a week earlier in order to bring a game to a national television audience, or as part of the "Hawaii Rule" which grants teams that play a game in Hawaii an extra regular season home game to offset travel costs. The first Week 0 game was the 1983 Kickoff Classic, in which No. 1 Nebraska defeated No. 4 Penn State, 44–6, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.[4]
For the 2020 season, the NCAA issued a blanket waiver for Week 0 games by any team, in order to allow for scheduling flexibility amid the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]
Results
Week 0 games since 2002:
Rankings reflect preseason AP Poll.
- Notes
- First game at Allegiant Stadium.
- FCS/Div I-AA team.
- Marks the 50th anniversary of the plane crash that killed 75 people, including 37 from the Marshall football team. The crash occurred on the team's return flight from a game at East Carolina.
- Was originally scheduled to be played at Aviva Stadium in Dublin for the Emerald Isle Classic. The game was moved due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6]
- First game at Canvas Stadium.
See also
- FCS Kickoff, a Week 0 game featuring two Division I FCS teams that has been played since 2014
References
- Sherman, Rodger (August 27, 2019). "Why the "Week 0" College Football Game Is Here to Stay". The Ringer.
- Northam, Mitchell (September 1, 2019). "When does the 2019 college football season start?". NCAA.com.
- Godfrey, Steven (February 3, 2020). "Let's do the WEEK ZERO BIG GAME thing every year". Banner Society.
- "College Football Week 0: Money, Ratings, and the NCAA Football Schedule". Off Tackle Empire. August 23, 2019.
- "Reports: NCAA permits teams to schedule 'Week 0' games". AL.com. 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
- Dinich, Heather (2 June 2020). "Notre Dame-Navy football game moving from Ireland to Maryland". ESPN. Retrieved 11 June 2020.