Football starts on different dates depending on the league:

• The 2025 NFL regular season starts on Thursday, September 4, 2025, with the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys in the kickoff game.

• The 2025 college football season begins earlier, with "Week Zero" on Saturday, August 23, 2025. Most Division I college football programs start the following week.

In summary, college football begins in late August, and the NFL season starts in early September each year. The NFL kickoff game traditionally occurs on the Thursday after Labor Day.