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2025 College Football TV Schedule: Kickoff Times Set for Early Season & Midweek Games

ECU at NC State, App State vs. Charlotte, Elon at Duke start times locked in

Elon football players walk to meet Duke players before the start of the two schools' 2024 meeting.
Elon and Duke will meet for the second year in a row to open the season. The game will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28 on ACC Network Extra. Photo by Aidan Blake Photography | Courtesy Elon athletics

As summer heats up, the first wave of kickoff times and TV info has dropped for the 2025 college football season — and there’s plenty for North Carolina fans to get excited about.

From primetime rivalry games to Thursday/Friday spotlight matchups, several of the state’s top FBS and FCS programs will be featured on ESPN platforms, the ACC Network and ABC throughout August, September and beyond.

Here is what we learned from the recent TV schedule releases:

🗓️ Opening Weekend & Labor Day Highlights

  • Thurs, Aug. 28 – ECU at NC State
    📺 7 p.m. | ACC Network
    A rematch of the 2024 Military Bowl, now under the lights in Raleigh.
  • Thurs, Aug 28 – Elon at Duke
    📺 7:30 p.m. | ACCNX
    Blue Devils host one of the state’s top FCS teams for second year in a row
  • Fri, Aug. 29 – App State vs. Charlotte (Duke’s Mayo Classic)
    📺 7 p.m. | ESPNU
    Friday night fireworks from budding rivals at Bank of America Stadium.
  • Fri, Aug. 29 – Kennesaw State at Wake Forest
    📺 7 p.m. | ACCNX
    First game of the Jake Dickert coaching era in Winston-Salem
  • Sat, Aug. 30 – Gardner-Webb at Western Carolina
    📺 6 p.m. | Streaming ESPN+
    Rare night game in Cullowhee opens the season for both.
  • Mon, Sept. 1 – TCU at UNC
    📺 8 p.m. | ESPN
    A huge Labor Day Monday clash in Chapel Hill officially welcomes Bill Belichick to college football.

🔥 Early September Matchups of Note

The second full weekend of the regular season is FCS-at-FBS Saturday for most of our state’s FCS teams, otherwise known as “pay check Saturday”. Meanwhile, NCSU plays a rare non-conference tilt against a long-time conference rival.

  • Sat, Sept. 6 – Virginia at NC State
    📺 Noon | ESPN2
    This game replaced the NCSU at App State game originally set for this weekend several years ago
  • Sat, Sept. 6 – Illinois at Duke
    📺 Noon | ABC or ESPN
    An intriguing match-up of upstart ACC, Big Team teams. Illinois won 10 games, Duke 9 in 2024.
  • Sat, Sept. 6 – Western Carolina at Wake Forest
    📺 2 p.m. | ACCNX
    Catamounts play an ACC team for second straight year
  • Sat, Sept. 6 – Gardner-Webb at Georgia Tech
    📺 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
    First of two clashes against FBS opponents for Runnin’ Bulldogs
  • Sat, Sept. 6– Campbell at ECU
    📺 6 p.m. | ESPN+
  • Sat, Sept. 6 – North Carolina Central at Old Dominion
    📺 6 p.m. | ESPN+
  • Sat, Sept. 6 – UNC at Charlotte
    📺 7 p.m. | ESPN+
    First-ever trip to Jerry Richardson Stadium for the Tar Heels.
  • Sat, Sept. 6 – NC A&T at UCF
    📺 7 p.m. | ESPN+
  • Sat, Sept. 13 – Duke at Tulane
    📺 8 p.m. | ESPN2
    New Blue Devils QB Darian Mensah faces his former team.

⚡ Thursday & Friday Games to Watch (Thru October)

North Carolina, NC State, East Carolina and Charlotte will hold down Thursdays and Fridays this fall.

  • Thurs, Sept. 11 – NC State at Wake Forest
    📺 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
  • Thurs, Sept. 18 – Rice at Charlotte
    📺 Time TBA | ESPN Platform
  • Thurs, Sept. 25 – Army at East Carolina
    📺 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
  • Fri, Oct. 3 – Charlotte at USF
    📺 7 p.m. | ESPN2
  • Thurs, Oct. 9 – East Carolina at Tulane
    📺 7:30 or 8 p.m. | ESPN or ESPN2
  • Thurs, Oct. 16 – Tulsa at East Carolina
    📺 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
  • Fri, Oct. 17 – UNC at Cal
    📺 10:30 p.m. | ESPN
    After-dark action out west.
  • Fri, Oct. 24 – North Texas at Charlotte
    📺 7 p.m. | ESPN2
  • Fri, Oct. 31 – UNC at Syracuse
    📺 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

📅 November Games & Championship Friday

  • Thurs, Nov. 6 – Georgia Southern at App State
    📺 7:30 or 8 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2
    One of the Sun Belt’s fiercest rivalries gets the primetime treatment.
  • Fri, Nov. 21 – Florida State at NC State
    📺 8 p.m. | ESPN
    Thursday night games at Carter-Finley: one of the toughest environments in the ACC
  • Fri, Dec. 5 – Sun Belt Championship Game
    📺 7 p.m. | ESPN
    Prime-time coverage for App State’s conference. Can the Mountaineers make it back in?
  • Sat, Dec. 6 – ACC Championship Game
    📺 8 p.m. | ABC
    NC State has never been in this game. The last North Carolina team: the 2023 UNC Tar Heels.

🖱️ Want the Full Schedule? We’ve Got You Covered:

🔗 NC Football 2025 Full Master Schedule (All Levels)

🔗 View by Team: 2025 Schedules for All NC Programs

Whether you’re following FBS heavyweights or FCS underdogs, we’ve got every game, every kickoff and every team covered all season long.

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