Unfortunately for college football fans, this Saturday’s early afternoon window is looking pretty weak.
Week 3 of the 2026 season kicks off this Thursday with Syracuse and Pitt on ESPN. Exactly 24 hours later, No. 5 Miami and Wake Forest will square off in an ACC showdown. Fans will also get to see No. 22 Houston and No. 13 Texas Tech on Friday night.
While the early afternoon slate for Saturday features an SEC battle between No. 2 Georgia and Arkansas, 37 of the 75 games being played this weekend will kick off at 7 p.m. ET or later.
As you’d imagine, fans on the East Coast aren’t thrilled with Saturday’s schedule.
© Stephen Lew-Imagn Images.
“East coast time is the worst time. And it’s an even worse time on Saturdays like this,” one fan said.
“The early slate is awful compared to pretty much every other week,” a second fan wrote on X.
“Pretty crazy stat. Noon slate is extremely light this week,” a third fan added. “Brutal.”
“It’s still 100 degrees in the South. night games are most welcome right now,” another fan argued. “A number of the “late” games are national TV games which make sense. Most of the rest are Mountain/Pacific time games so not all that late for them.”
Saturday night slate should be great.
The biggest game on the Week 3 schedule features No. 7 LSU and No. 8 Ole Miss in what’ll be Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford. That matchup will be previewed extensively on ESPN’s “College GameDay.”
Fans will also get to watch Michigan State face No. 3 Notre Dame on Saturday night. That could be a fun game if the Spartans play turnover-free football.
Are you amped up for Week 3 of the season?
