liveUpdated 7m agoFollow live as Bill Belichick's Tar Heels kick off the 2026 college football season against the Horned FrogsThe Athletic Live Team and Austin GreenAugust 29, 2026 at 8:30 AM EDTBill Belichick looks to bounce back from a rocky first season in charge of North Carolina. Getty ImagesNorth Carolina vs. TCU in Dublin — LatestBill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels begin the head coach’s second season at the helm in Dublin, Ireland against the TCU Horned Frogs.Follow along for pregame build-up, live play-by-play updates and the latest analysis from The Athletic’s college football staff.Kickoff: 12 p.m. ETTV: ESPNStreaming: Fubo (Stream Free Now)Get involved in our game discussion our share your thoughts via email at live@theathletic.com.SKIP ADVERTISEMENTAdvertisementJoin the conversation! Getty Images We want to hear from you throughout our conversation today! Will Bill Belichick turn things around at North Carolina? Can TCU make another surprise run in the Big 12? Are college football games played internationally a good idea to grow the sport?Share your thoughts on the above or anything else related to this game by heading over to our discussion page or sending us an email at live@theathletic.com!Previous college football games in Ireland ReutersThis is the seventh-ever college football game played in Ireland, sixth edition of the “Aer Lingus College Football Classic” and fifth in successive years. The most famous — or infamous, rather — game took place in 2024 when Georgia Tech shocked reigning ACC champion Florida State after the Seminoles had an undefeated season the year prior. Here’s a list of each of those games:Sept. 1, 2012: Notre Dame 50, Navy 10Sept. 3, 2016: Georgia Tech 17, Boston College 14Aug. 27, 2022: Northwestern 31, Nebraska 28Aug. 26, 2023: Notre Dame 42, Navy 3Aug. 24, 2024: Georgia Tech 24, Florida State 21Aug. 23, 2025: Iowa State 24, Kansas State 21Today's venue ReutersAviva Stadium once again hosts today’s college football matchup, just as it did last season’s game where Iowa State beat Kansas State 24-21 in an all-Big 12 showdown, as well as Northwestern’s 2022 win over Nebraska, Notre Dame’s 2023 win over Navy and Georgia Tech’s 2024 upset over then-AP No. 10-ranked Florida State.Aviva Stadium’s primary function is as the home stadium for Ireland’s national rugby and European football (soccer) teams. It’s also hosted some other big-time European club soccer games such as the 2024 Europa League final.It seats 49,000 for American football.How to watch North Carolina vs. TCU ReutersToday’s game between North Carolina and TCU can be seen on ESPN. You can also stream the game on Fubo (Stream Free Now).What time does today's game kick off? ReutersToday’s game between North Carolina and TCU kicks off at 12 p.m. noon ET. That’s 11 a.m. CT, 9 a.m. PT and 6 p.m. local time in Dublin.SKIP ADVERTISEMENTAdvertisementWelcome to our live coverage! Getty Images Hello football fans and welcome back to The Athletic’s live college football coverage, where today we’ll be taking you inside all the action in Dublin as North Carolina and TCU face off on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean to begin Week 0 of the 2026 college football season.This marquee matchup is our first taste of what’s sure to be another thrilling — and chaotic — year of college football both on and off the field, and The Athletic will be there to bring you through it every step of the way.Follow along as we build up to kickoff today with all the preview content you need to get ready for this one before taking you through every big moment with our college football writers’ unparalleled insight.