The 2026 college football season gets underway in full on Saturday with Week 1 action, and on CBS Sports Network that means a quadruple header of teams getting their seasons underway.
This week's slate begins on Saturday with Army kicking off its season at home against Bryant, as the Black Knights look to build off a solid 2025 season. Following that will be Navy getting its season started by hosting Towson in Annapolis, with the Midshipmen hoping for another strong campaign after going 11-2 in 2025.
After the service academies get things started, the action shifts west for the evening. Utah State hosts Idaho State in their first game as a member of the new-look Pac-12, and then Nevada hosts Western Kentucky in the nightcap in what is expected to be a highly competitive battle between quality Group of 6 squads.
CBS Sports Network will carry all four games, with full viewing info, betting lines and key storylines to follow as Week 14 unfolds.
All times Eastern | Odds via SportsLine consensus
Bryant vs. Army
Date: Saturday, Sept. 5 | Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Blaik Field at Michie Stadium -- West Point, New York
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Spread: Army -36.5 |
After a 7-6 season ended with a convincing bowl win over UConn, Army will kickoff in Week 1 with high hopes for an even better 2026. Jeff Monken's squad returns plenty of talent, headlined by senior quarterback Cale Hellums who led the team with 304 carries, 1,223 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2025. With Hellums back under center operating the Black Knights' option offense, Army should be able to hit the ground running and find some early offensive rhythm as a big favorite in the opener.
Navy vs. Towson
Date: Saturday, Sept. 5 | Time: 3:30 p.m.
Location: Navy - Marine Corps Memorial Stadium -- Annapolis, Maryland
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Spread: Navy -30.5
Navy had a dream season in 2025, winning 11 games and finishing the season ranked No. 23 in the final AP poll. The big question mark for Navy coming into 2026 is how the offense fares with a ton of turnover. Senior quarterback Braxton Woodson takes over as Blake Horvath's replacement and will have a lot of young skill position talent around him, as the Midshipmen lose their top three running backs (including their top two pass catchers) off last year's squad. Navy is a sizable favorite over FCS Towson in the opener, but it can still tell us a lot about how well their offense is ready to execute with a ton of fresh faces.
Utah State vs. Idaho State
Date: Saturday, Sept. 5 | Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium -- Logan, Utah
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Spread: Utah State -14
Bronco Mendenhall's second season in charge in Logan will get going with a solid FCS squad rolling into town for the opener. The Aggies are part of the reborn Pac-12 but will need to have their full focus on the Bengals, who gave UNLV and New Mexico all they could handle in a pair of hard-fought losses at the FBS level in 2025. Utah State will be turning things over to junior quarterback McCae Hillstead this season, who began his career at BYU before transferring up the road to Logan, and will hope he can help them take another step forward in 2026.
Nevada vs. Western Kentucky
Date: Saturday, Sept. 5 | Time: 10:30 p.m.
Location: Mackay Stadium -- Reno, Nevada
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Spread: WKU -1.5
The nightcap is, on paper, the most competitive game of the day. The Wolf Pack will be short home underdogs to the Hilltoppers, as Big Red comes rolling into Reno for a CUSA-Mountain West showdown. Carter Jones is back for another year under center for the Pack, who are looking to improve on a 3-9 campaign last season, but will have.a stiff challenge on their hands in the opener. Tyson Helton's squad won nine games in 2025 and will turn things over full time to Rodney Tisdale Jr. as quarterback, albeit with some fresh faces around him at the skill positions. This is a big game for both teams, as the Hilltoppers want to prove themselves as a threat again in Conference USA, while Nevada needs to build some confidence to try and take a leap into bowl eligibility.
