Circle the calendar! When does the 2026 college football season officially kick off?

[Samuel]

I'm already counting down the days until summer ends and football starts. I've seen a few different dates floating around and just want a definitive answer—when does the 2026 college football season start? Is it the last weekend in August like usual, or are there games even earlier this year? I need to request time off work for some road trips, so a concrete date would be a lifesaver. I've seen some chatter about Week Zero games on August 27th and 28th, but is that considered the 'real' start? Help a fellow fan out!