If you mean American football, the NFL’s 2025 regular season starts September 4, with the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys. College football begins earlier: its first 2025 games are scheduled for August 23.
The exact start depends on the league and level you follow. Here are the key dates for the NFL, college, and high school football, plus how preseason and Week 1 fit in. You’ll also find a quick way to check your team’s kickoff time and a note on what the word football can mean in different places.
when will football start this year? The main 2025 dates
For the NFL, the 2025 regular season opens on Thursday, September 4. The Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys in the season opener. The league’s first full Sunday slate follows on September 7.
College football starts sooner. The 2025 season’s first games are scheduled for Saturday, August 23, during Week 0. Most teams begin around the final weekend of August, with games spread across Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and sometimes Sunday or Monday.
High school football generally begins in August or early September. The date varies by state, district, and school, so there is no single nationwide kickoff date. If you mean soccer rather than American football, its league calendar is different; for example, the 2025–26 English Premier League season began on August 15, 2025.
These are season-start dates, not dates when every team plays. Your team may have its first game later, and kickoff times vary. Check the league or school schedule for the specific matchup.
2025 football dates at a glance
| Competition | 2025 start | What the date means | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL regular season | September 4 | Season opener; first full Sunday slate is September 7 | Fans following professional American football |
| College football | August 23 | First scheduled Week 0 games; most teams start later in August | Fans following college teams and conferences |
| High school football | Usually August or early September | Start dates are set locally and differ among schools | Families and local supporters |
| English Premier League soccer | August 15 | Start of the 2025–26 league season | People using football to mean soccer |
Quick answer: the NFL starts September 4, while college football starts August 23. Those dates refer to different competitions, so check which league you mean before planning around a game.
What the NFL’s start date includes
The September 4 date marks the first regular-season game, not the start of all NFL activity. Teams hold training camp earlier, and preseason games take place before the games count toward the regular-season standings. The NFL’s 2025 preseason begins before the regular season, with the Hall of Fame Game scheduled for July 31.
Preseason is useful for seeing new players and getting a first look at team changes, but it is not the same competition as the regular season. Coaches often rotate players and limit how long many starters play. A preseason result does not add a win or loss to a team’s regular-season record.
The regular season runs over 18 weeks, with each team scheduled to play 17 games and have one bye week. A bye week is a scheduled week without a game. As a result, teams do not all play on every weekend, even though the season starts with a shared opening date.
The 2025 regular season is scheduled to end on January 4, 2026. The playoffs follow, then the Super Bowl, which is scheduled for February 8, 2026. Those later dates can help if you are asking when the season ends, rather than when it begins.
Preseason versus regular season
The distinction matters if you are buying tickets, setting a recording, or checking a team’s record. Preseason games usually happen in August, but the regular-season standings do not begin until the September opener. Look for the words preseason or regular season on a schedule to identify which kind of game you are seeing.
Preseason broadcasts may also have different lineups and playing time from a regular-season game. If your main goal is to see a particular star, check team news and the broadcast listing before making plans. A player’s appearance is not guaranteed just because the team is playing.
When college football starts in 2025
College football’s first 2025 games are scheduled for August 23, the date often called Week 0. Week 0 is a small group of games placed before the first full weekend of the college season. It is not a separate season, and not every school plays that early.
Many teams begin their schedules during the final weekend of August. Some play on Thursday or Friday, while many play Saturday. The exact calendar varies by conference, school, and broadcast arrangement, so a broad season-start date cannot tell you when one particular team takes the field.
College schedules can include regular-season games, conference championship games, and postseason bowl or playoff games. These stages happen across several months. If you want the first game for a specific school, use that school’s official athletics schedule rather than relying on the first game listed for college football overall.
College football also differs from the NFL in rules, team structure, and schedule format. There are many conferences and independent programs, so there is no single central weekly matchup list that covers every team equally. National broadcasts show a selection of games, not necessarily every game being played.
Why high school football has no single opening day
High school football is organized locally. State associations and school districts set calendars, and the first game can vary between neighboring areas. August is a common start month, while some teams begin in September. Weather, school calendars, local rules, and scheduling all affect the date.
For an accurate date, check the school’s athletics page, district calendar, or the state high school association’s schedule. Make sure you are looking at the current season: search results and third-party listings can show a previous year’s dates. A school’s first practice date is not the same as its first game.
If you are attending, check the venue, ticket instructions, and any local entry rules before leaving. School schedules may change because of weather or other local issues. Confirm the game on the day if the forecast or school announcements suggest a possible change.
How to find your team’s first game and kickoff time
The season’s opening date is only a starting point. Use these steps to find the date that applies to the team you actually want to watch:
- Identify the competition. Decide whether you mean the NFL, college, high school, or soccer. A search for football schedules can mix these up.
- Search for the team’s official schedule. A league, school, or team website is the clearest source for its published fixtures. For college teams, look for the athletics department’s football schedule.
- Check the first matchup, not the season headline. A league’s opening game may not include your team. Find the earliest date listed beside the team’s name.
- Confirm the time zone. Listings may show local stadium time or your device’s local time. Check the time-zone label before setting a reminder, especially for an away game.
- Recheck close to game day. Broadcast information and kickoff times can be updated. The official team or league listing is a better last check than an old search result.
For NFL games, team and league schedules show the dates and kickoff times once they are published. For college and high school games, the school or conference schedule is often the most direct source. A search result snippet may not show whether the time is local or converted to your location.
Why kickoff times and schedules can change
Most league schedules are published well ahead, but not every game’s final broadcast placement is necessarily known at the same time. Some leagues use flexible scheduling, which can move selected games to a different time or broadcast window. Weather and other operational issues can also lead to a change.
Time zones create another common source of confusion. A game listed at 1 p.m. in the stadium’s local time may appear at a different hour in your calendar. Check whether your schedule app automatically converts time zones, and compare it with the listing’s stated zone if the timing seems off.
International games add travel and local-time differences. A league game played outside the United States may be listed according to the venue’s local time, the home team’s time zone, or your device’s settings. Read the location and time-zone details rather than assuming every kickoff is shown in Eastern Time.
Practical tip: add the game from an official team or league calendar when possible, then verify the time zone in your calendar app. This is more reliable than copying a time from a search result, especially for a game weeks away.
Does football mean American football or soccer?
The word football can refer to different sports depending on where you live. In the United States, it often means American football, including the NFL and college football. In many other countries, football means association football, called soccer in the United States.
The leagues do not share one season-start date. American professional and college seasons have their own calendars, and soccer leagues follow different schedules. Some soccer competitions run from late summer into the following spring, while other leagues or tournaments use a different calendar.
If you meant soccer, look up the specific league or tournament rather than using the NFL dates. The 2025–26 English Premier League season began August 15, 2025, but that date does not apply to every soccer league. Domestic leagues, international competitions, and national-team tournaments each publish separate calendars.
It also helps to name the competition in a search, such as NFL, college football, or Premier League. That small detail filters out schedules for other sports and reduces the chance of following the wrong opening date.
Common mistakes when checking football’s start date
- Mixing up preseason and the regular season. NFL preseason games happen before the games that count in the standings. If you want the first regular-season game, use September 4, 2025, rather than an earlier preseason date.
- Assuming every team plays on opening day. The league start date marks the season’s first game. It does not mean every team has a game that day.
- Treating Week 0 as every college team’s opening weekend. Week 0 contains early games, but many college programs begin later in August.
- Using a previous season’s schedule. Search engines can retain older pages. Confirm that the schedule says 2025 or 2025–26, as appropriate.
- Ignoring local time. A correct kickoff time in another time zone can still be the wrong time for your calendar. Check the time zone displayed.
- Assuming football means the same sport everywhere. Add the league or competition name to your search to distinguish American football from soccer.
A useful way to avoid these errors is to separate three details: sport, competition, and team. First identify the sport, then the league or school level, then check the team’s own schedule. This gets you from a broad season date to the game you can actually watch.
What to check before the first game
Once you have the correct date, confirm the kickoff time and broadcast or streaming details. TV coverage can differ by location, and a game appearing on one network in one area may not be available on the same channel everywhere. Check the current listing for your location.
If you plan to attend in person, verify the stadium address, entry time, ticket conditions, and transportation plan. Opening games can draw extra attention, and stadium policies may differ from one venue to another. Use the venue’s current information rather than assuming last season’s instructions still apply.
For a team’s first game, also check whether the schedule has been updated since you last looked. A date shown in a preseason article or social post may be incomplete. The official schedule should be your reference for the matchup; the official broadcast listing is useful for the final viewing details.
For 2025, the quick reference is straightforward: college football begins August 23, the NFL regular season begins September 4, and high school start dates vary locally. Use the team’s official schedule to turn those broad dates into the exact kickoff you need.
For American football in 2025, college games start August 23 and the NFL regular season opens September 4. High school schedules vary by area, while soccer follows separate league calendars.
To find the game that matters to you, check your team’s official schedule and confirm the kickoff time zone. Searching with the league and team name will help you avoid preseason dates and schedules from another sport.