College football on ESPN kicks off Sept. 1

The college football season kicks off Thursday, Sept. 1,  featuring a prime-time matchup between the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels and the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., at 8pm ET on ESPN. The Badgers, ranked No. 10 in the USA Today preseason poll, are coming off a Rose Bowl loss to TCU, have high hopes that transfer quarterback Russell Wilson can be a playmaker in their run-first offense.

Other opening-weekend highlights on the ESPN networks:

A big early-season college football matchup between teams with national title hopes takes place Saturday (ABC, 8pm ET) at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as the Oregon Ducks take on the LSU Tigers in the Cowboys Classic. Oregon, coming off a loss to Auburn in the national championship game, was ranked No. 3 in the USA Today preseason poll. LSU, ranked No. 4, finished last season with a convincing 41-24 Cotton Bowl win over Texas A&M.

The Georgia Dome in Atlanta is the site of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game on Saturday (ESPN, 8pm ET), this year featuring the Boise State Broncos taking on the Georgia Bulldogs. Boise State (No. 7 in the USA Today preseason poll) moves to the Mountain West Conference this season, and many analysts have them pegged to finish on top, thanks largely to explosive quarterback Kellen Moore. Georgia is coming off a losing 6-7 season, but has high hopes in sophomore quarterback Aaron Murray.

You can get a complete college football TV schedule from ESPN here. Season kickoff press release, schedule, highlights and more from ESPN below.

 

2011 College Football Season Kicks off Thursday

First Week of Season Includes 44 Games in Five Days, College GameDay Built by The Home Depot from Arlington

ESPN will kick off the 2011 college football season with 44 games in five days across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com as part of the fourth annual DICK’s Sporting Goods Kickoff Week Sept. 1-5. The season will conclude with all five post-season Bowl Championship Series bowls, highlighted by the Allstate BCS National Championship Jan. 9, at 8:30 p.m. ET, on ESPN, ESPN3.com, ESPN 3D and ESPN Radio.

Schedule highlights
The season will kick off with 11 games Thursday, Sept. 1, including an ESPNU doubleheader: Murray State at Louisville at 6 p.m. followed by Kentucky vs. Western Kentucky from Nashville at 9:15 p.m.

ESPN3.com will offer exclusive coverage of 13 games and 37 games overall.

First weekend will include two Saturday night telecasts pitting teams from the Associated Press top 25 preseason rankings against each other:

  • No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 4 LSU (in Cowboys Classic from Arlington) Sept. 3 at 8 p.m. on ABC
  • No. 5 Boise State vs. No. 19 Georgia (in Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game from Atlanta) Sept. 3 at 8 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN3.com
  • Overall, the weekend will kick off with 16 teams from the preseason poll. Additional teams include:
  • No. 2 Alabama against Kent State Saturday, Sept. 3 at noon on ESPN3.com
  • No. 6 Florida State against Louisiana-Monroe Saturday, Sept. 3, at 3:30 p.m. on ESPNU
  • No. 11 Wisconsin against UNLV Thursday, Sept. 1, at 8 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN3.com and ESPN 3D.
  • No. 12 South Carolina against East Carolina Saturday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. on ESPN3.com
  • No. 13 Virginia Tech against Appalachian State Saturday, Sept. 3, at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN3.com
  • No. 14 TCU at Baylor Friday, Sept. 2, at 8 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN3.com
  • No. 15 Arkansas against Missouri State Saturday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. on ESPN3.com
  • No. 18 Ohio State against Akron Saturday, Sept. 3, at noon on ESPN and ESPN3.com
  • No. 22 Florida against Florida Atlantic Saturday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. on ESPNU
  • No. 23 Auburn against Utah State Saturday, Sept. 3, at noon on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com
  • No. 24 West Virginia against Marshall Sunday, Sept. 4, at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN3.com
  • No. 25 USC against Minnesota Saturday, Sept. 3, at 3:30 p.m. on ABC and ESPN2 and ESPN3.com
  • A Labor Day telecast Monday, Sept. 5 will feature an ACC showdown and debut of two new head coaches: Miami with Al Golden at Maryland, led by Randy Edsall, at 8 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN3.com, ESPN 3D and ESPN Radio.

New elements
ACC: The first year of a 12-year agreement with the Atlantic Coast Conference providing ESPN extensive rights to games for Saturday, Thursday and Labor Day telecasts across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com.
BYU: The first year of an eight-year agreement for exclusive rights to BYU home football games across multiple ESPN platforms. ESPN will televise the first game as an independent against Ole Miss Saturday, Sept. 3, at 4:45 p.m.

Goal Line and WatchESPN
Second year of ESPN Goal Line – currently available to Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Verizon FiOS TV customers – will include unlimited live cut-ins and highlights from numerous games every Saturday beginning at noon.
Viewers can also watch live ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3.com and ESPN Goal Line game action on smart phones or tablets through the WatchESPN app. The service – available to customers of Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks or Verizon FiOS TV – gives fans the ability to watch ESPN’s live networks, no matter where they are.

College GameDay Built by The Home Depot
College GameDay Built by The Home Depot – Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on ESPNU and 10 a.m. to noon on ESPN – will open the season Sept. 3 from Arlington, Texas, site of the Cowboys Classic pitting No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 4 LSU (8 p.m. on ABC).
Chris Fowler will return as show host with analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard. Erin Andrews will anchor several segments of the first hour on ESPNU and contribute reports, interviews and features during the ESPN portion. David Pollack joins as a contributor.
The three-time Emmy Award-winning program is entering its 25th season and 19th consecutive year of originating from the site of one of the day’s best games or a game with the most compelling storyline.

2011 Season
The 2011 college football season on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN 3D, ESPN3.com, ESPN Radio, ESPN Mobile TV, ESPN Regional Television and ESPN GamePlan will total more than 400 regular-and post-season games, concluding with the entire Bowl Championship Series, including the AllState BCS National Championship, on ESPN. The schedule will include weekly Saturday night games on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, weekly ESPN and ESPNU Thursday night contests and telecasts every Friday and select Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3.com, ESPN 3D, Longhorn Network and ESPN Radio Schedule
Note: All ABC split national, ESPN and ESPN2 games will be simulcast on ESPN3.com

Thursday, Sept. 1
6 p.m.    Murray State at Louisville (Rob Stone, Danny Kanell & Allison Williams)   ESPNU
7 p.m.    North Texas at Florida International (Kevin Corke & Doug Graber)    ESPN3.com
7 p.m.    Villanova at Temple (Scott Graham & Chuck Cecil)    ESPN3.com
7 p.m.    Western Illinois at Sam Houston State (TBD)    ESPN3.com
7:30 p.m.    Western Carolina at Georgia Tech (Ryan Rose & Warrick Dunn)    ESPN3.com
7:30 p.m.    Fordham at Connecticut (Bob Picozzi & Christian Fauria)    ESPN3.com
7:30 p.m.    North Carolina Central at Rutgers (Dave Popkin & Rob Harley)    ESPN3.com
7:30 p.m.    West Alabama at South Alabama (TBD)    ESPN3.com
8 p.m.    UNLV at No. 11 Wisconsin (Rece Davis, Craig James, Jesse Palmer & Jenn Brown
ESPN 3D: Dave Lamont, Tim Brown & David Diaz-Infante)    ESPN / ESPN3.com / ESPN 3D
8 p.m.    Wake Forest at Syracuse (Dave Weekley & John Bunting)    ESPN3.com
9 p.m.    Bowling Green at Idaho (TBD)    ESPN3.com
9:15 p.m.    Kentucky vs. Western Kentucky (from Nashville) (Dave Neal, Andre Ware & Cara Capuano)    ESPNU
Friday, Sept. 2
8 p.m.    No. 14 TCU at Baylor (Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore & Samantha Steele)    ESPN / ESPN3.com
Saturday, Sept. 3
Noon    Akron at No. 18 Ohio State (Dave Pasch, Urban Meyer, Chris Spielman & Quint Kessenich)    ESPN / ESPN3.com
Noon    Utah State at No. 23 Auburn (Beth Mowins, Mike Bellotti & Ivan Maisel)    ESPN2 / ESPN3.com
Noon    Northwestern at Boston College (Rob Stone & Danny Kanell)   ESPNU
Noon    Kent State at No. 2 Alabama (Dave Neal, Andre Ware & Cara Capuano)    ESPN3.com
12:30 p.m.    Appalachian State at No. 13 Virginia Tech (Steve Martin, Dave Archer & Mike Hodgewood)    ESPN3.com
3:30 p.m.    Minnesota at No. 25 USC (Carter Blackburn, Brock Huard & Shelley Smith)    ABC and ESPN2 * / ESPN3.com
3:30 p.m.  Western Michigan at Michigan (Mike Patrick, Craig James & Jeannine Edwards)    ABC and ESPN2 * / ESPN3.com
3:30 p.m.    Louisiana Monroe at No. 6 Florida State (Pam Ward & Dan Hawkins)    ESPNU
3:30 p.m.    Troy at Clemson (Joe Davis & Warrick Dunn)    ESPN3.com
3:30 p.m.    James Madison at North Carolina (TBD)    ESPN3.com
4:45 p.m.    BYU at Mississippi (Bob Wischusen, Bob Davie & Jessica Mendoza)    ESPN / ESPN3.com
6 p.m.    Buffalo at Pittsburgh (John Sanders & John Bunting)    ESPN3.com
6 p.m.    Liberty at North Carolina State (Darren Goldwater & Rene Ingoglia)    ESPN3.com
6 p.m.    William & Mary at Virginia (Dave Weekley & John Gregory)    ESPN3.com
6 p.m.    Montana at Tennessee (TBD)    ESPN3.com
7 p.m.    Richmond at Duke (Neil Solondz & Jay Taylor)    ESPN3.com
7 p.m.    Army at Northern Illinois (Shawn Kenney & Bob Chemeil)    ESPN3.com
7 p.m.    Indiana at Ball State (Jim Barbar & Adam Archuletta)    ESPN3.com
7 p.m.    Florida Atlantic at No. 22 Florida (Clay Matvick, Brian Griese & Allison Williams)    ESPNU
7 p.m.    East Carolina at No. 12 South Carolina (TBD)    ESPN3.com
7 p.m.    Missouri State at No. 15 Arkansas (TBD)    ESPN3.com
7 p.m.    Austin Peay at Cincinnati (TBD)    ESPN3.com
7:30 p.m.    Elon at Vanderbilt (TBD)    ESPN3.com
8 p.m.    Cowboys Classic: No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 4 LSU (from Arlington) (Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit & Erin Andrews)    ABC / ESPN Radio
8 p.m.    Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game: No. 5 Boise State vs. No. 19 Georgia (from Atlanta) (Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge & Holly Rowe)    ESPN / ESPN3.com
8 p.m.    Ohio at New Mexico State (TBD)    ESPN3.com
10:15 p.m.    Colorado at Hawaii (Dave Lamont & David Diaz-Infante    ESPN2 / ESPN3.com
10:30 p.m.    Grambling State at Alcorn State (Adam Amin & Jay Walker)    ESPNU ** / ESPN3.com (at 7 p.m.)
Sunday, Sept. 4
Noon    MEAC/SWAC Challenge Presented by Disney: Prairie View A&M vs. Bethune Cookman (from Orlando) (Mike Morgan & Jay Walker)    ESPNU / ESPN3.com
3:30 p.m.    Marshall at No. 24 West Virginia (Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore & Quint Kessenich)    ESPN / ESPN3.com
Monday, Sept. 5
8 p.m.    Miami at Maryland (ESPN: Sean McDonough, Matt Millen & Heather Cox ESPN 3D: Joe Tessitore, Tim Brown & Ray Bentley ESPN Radio: Bill Rosinski, David Norrie & Joe Schad)    ESPN / ESPN3.com / ESPN Radio / ESPN 3D

* Part of reverse mirror in which ABC’s split national telecast is televised regionally on ESPN or ESPN2 and ESPN3.com to markets receiving another game on ABC
** Same day delay

About Ryan Berenz 2166 Articles
Member of the Television Critics Association. Charter member of the Ancient and Mystic Society of No Homers. Squire of the Ancient & Benevolent Order of the Lynx, Lodge 49, Long Beach, Calif. Costco Wholesale Gold Star Member since 2011.