The 2018 college football schedule is just around the corner and ESPN is preparing for a loaded slate of games that sets up to be one of the most exciting opening weekends across the nation in recent memory. This year, opening weekend will span across five days beginning on Thursday, Aug. 30 and concluding on Monday, Sept. 3 with Virginia Tech at Florida State in primetime.
On opening weekend, fans will get their first taste of five new commentary teams — Jason Benetti, Kelly Stouffer, and Olivia Dekker, who will cover Western Kentucky at Wisconsin; Adam Amin, Rod Gilmore, and Quint Kessenich, who will cover BYU at Arizona; Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek, and Molly McGrath, who will cover Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech; Kevin Brown and Andre Ware covering Central Michigan at Kentucky; and Dave Neal, DJ Shockley, and Dawn Davenport who will cover Eastern Illinois at Arkansas.
The top team of Kirk Herbstreit and Maria Taylor will work three games over Labor Day Weekend beginning with Northwestern at Purdue, then heading to Orlando for Alabama vs. Louisville, and ending with the ACC clash between Virginia Tech and Florida State.
Chris Fowler will join Herbstreit and Taylor for Alabama-Louisville and Virginia Tech-Florida State.
The full list of announcer pairings for ESPN’s first full weekend of the 2018 college football season can be seen below.
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Network |
| Thu, Aug. 30 | 7 p.m. | UCF at Connecticut Clay Matvick, Dan Orlovsky, Paul Carcaterra |
ESPNU |
| Central Connecticut State at Ball State Jim Barbar, Mark Herrmann |
ESPN+ | ||
| Kennesaw State at Georgia State | ESPN+ | ||
| 8 p.m. | Northwestern at Purdue Dave Flemming, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor |
ESPN | |
| Southeastern Louisiana at Louisiana-Monroe | ESPN+ | ||
| 8:30 p.m. | Northwestern State at Texas A&M Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic |
SEC Network | |
| Friday, Aug. 31 | 6:30 p.m. | Monmouth at Eastern Michigan Dan Gutowsky, Marcus Ray |
ESPN+ |
| 7 p.m. | Army at Duke Roy Philpott, Tom Ramsey |
ESPNU | |
| 9 p.m. | Western Kentucky at Wisconsin Jason Benetti, Kelly Stouffer, Olivia Dekker |
ESPN | |
| Sat, Sept. 1 | Noon | Oregon State at Ohio State Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy, Tom Luginbill |
ABC |
| 2018 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff: Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech from Houston Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek, Molly McGrath |
ESPN | ||
| James Madison at NC State Mike Corey, Rene Ingoglia |
ESPNU | ||
| Coastal Carolina at South Carolina Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Kris Budden |
SEC Network | ||
| Villanova at Temple Clay Matvick, Dan Orlovsky, |
ESPNEWS | ||
| 12:20 p.m. | Furman at Clemson | ACC Network Extra | |
| 12:30 p.m. | Alcorn State at Georgia Tech | ACC Network Extra | |
| 1 p.m. | Massachusetts at Boston College | ACC Network Extra | |
| 2 p.m. | Howard at Ohio | ESPN+ | |
| 3:30 p.m. | 2018 Chick-fil-A Kickoff: Washington vs. Auburn from Atlanta TV: Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Todd McShay Radio: Bill Rosinski, David Norrie, Ian Fitzsimmons |
ABC and ESPN Radio | |
| Austin Peay at Georgia Beth Mowins, Anthony Becht, Rocky Boiman |
ESPN | ||
| Central Michigan at Kentucky Kevin Brown, Andre Ware |
ESPNU | ||
| Marshall at Miami (Ohio) Dave Weekley, Hutson Mason |
ESPN+ | ||
| Albany at Pittsburgh Joel Meyers, Dustin Fox |
ACC Network Extra | ||
| 4 p.m. | Eastern Illinois at Arkansas Dave Neal, DJ Shockley, Dawn Davenport |
SEC Network | |
| Tennessee-Martin at Missouri Mark Neely, Barrett Jones, Alex Corddry |
SEC Network Alternate | ||
| 6 p.m. | Delaware State at Buffalo Robert Lee, Jerod Cherry |
ESPN3 | |
| South Carolina State at Georgia Southern | ESPN+ | ||
| Richmond at Virginia Shawn Kenney, John Gregory |
ACC Network Extra | ||
| Boise State at Troy Dave LaMont, Ray Bentley |
ESPNEWS | ||
| North Carolina A&T at East Carolina Josh Appel, Stan Lewter |
ESPN3 | ||
| Elon at South Florida | ESPN3 | ||
| 7 p.m. | Cincinnati at UCLA Bob Wischusen, Brock Huard, Allison Williams |
ESPN | |
| Louisiana Tech at South Alabama | ESPN+ | ||
| Mercer at Memphis | ESPN3 | ||
| Central Arkansas at Tulsa | ESPN3 | ||
| VMI at Toledo Michael Reghi, Barrett Brooks |
ESPN3 | ||
| Nicholls at Kansas | ESPN3 | ||
| Grambling at Louisiana | ESPN3 | ||
| Southeast Missouri State at Arkansas State | ESPN+ | ||
| 7:30 p.m. | Charleston Southern at Florida Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic |
SEC Network | |
| Middle Tennessee at Vanderbilt Anish Shroff, Ahmad Brooks, Roddy Jones |
SEC Network Alternate | ||
| Stephen F. Austin at Mississippi State Mike Couzens, Kirk Morrison |
ESPNU | ||
| 8 p.m. | 2018 Camping World Kickoff from Orlando: Louisville vs. Alabama TV: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor Radio: Marc Kestecher, John Congemi, Paul Carcaterra |
ABC and ESPN Radio | |
| 10:45 p.m. | BYU at Arizona Adam Amin, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich |
ESPN | |
| Sun, Sept. 2 | Noon | 2018 MEAC/SWAC Challenge from Atlanta: Prairie View A&M vs. North Carolina Central Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker, Olivia Dekker |
ESPN2 |
| 7:30 p.m. | Miami vs. LSU from Arlington, Texas TV: Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe Radio: Bill Rosinski, David Norrie, Ian Fitzsimmons |
ABC and ESPN Radio | |
| Mon, Sept. 3 | 8 p.m. | Virginia Tech at Florida State Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor |
ESPN |
