Why Doesn’t Every College Football Team Play In Week 0?

The 2023 college football seasons kicks-off in Dublin this weekend with Notre Dame vs Navy, but why doesn’t every team play in Week 0?

Why Doesn’t Every College Football Team Play In Week 0?

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The college football season undergoes a soft launch in Week 0 which stems from two ideas:

• Guaranteeing smaller programs an opportunity to be featured on national television
• ‘The Hawaii Rule’

The NCAA awards waivers for these early games to get an extra bye week during the season, or they can have an extra home game and use the profits from that to help cover expenses for their lengthy travels on Week 0.

Notre Dame and Navy open the season across the Atlantic Ocean in Ireland, the capital of European college football, and you’ll notice all Week 0 fixtures include long travels.

The University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors are the main reason for their namesake rule. Travelling from the islands to the continental United States and back racks up a costly bill.

This is why the team was allowed an extra home game so they don’t spend too much travelling to and from games. In 2016, all other college football teams were given this option and any team could apply to play in Week 0 for specific circumstances.

For the 2020 season, the NCAA issued a blanket waiver for Week 0 games by any team in order to allow for scheduling flexibility amid the COVID-19 pandemic.