So, after Week 0, college football is finally here with Week 1. And on Thursday, fans will have more than 10 games to choose from, with plenty of action spread throughout the day. One of those contests will feature the Illinois Fighting Illini and UAB Blazers.

For UAB, the game carries added significance as it marks the Blazers’ first game of their first full campaign under head coach Alex Mortensen. Mortensen was the interim head coach during the final six games of the 2025 season with a 2-4 record. Now, all eyes will be on the Blazers to see how they perform with Mortensen leading the team for a full season.

Another Thursday matchup will pit the Minnesota Gophers against Eastern Illinois. It will mark the Gophers’ season opener, and history certainly favors Minnesota. The team is 56-2 all-time against FCS programs, with two noteworthy losses coming against South Dakota in 1912 and 2010.

When Minnesota last faced Eastern Illinois, the Gophers came away with a 42-20 victory, but that meeting took place 12 years ago. With so much time having passed, this matchup brings a different level of intrigue.

However, college football won’t be the only attraction on Thursday. MLB will also have a full slate of games, while the US Open continues with more second-round action. So, with plenty happening across the sports world, let’s take a look at the broadcast schedules for Thursday, September 3.

College football 

College football is back with a packed Thursday slate, featuring matchups across the country and plenty of options for fans to follow throughout the evening.

The schedule begins at 6:00 PM ET, when UMass takes on Rutgers at SHI Stadium, with the game airing on BTN. An hour later, several contests are on tap, including UAlbany vs. Buffalo on ESP+, Akron vs. Wake Forest on ACCN, Merrimack vs. Delaware on ESP+, Bethune-Cook. vs. UCF on ESP+, and West Georgia vs. Kennesaw St. on ESP+.

The schedule then moves into the 8:00 PM ET window, with E. Illinois facing Minnesota on PEAC and Colorado taking on Georgia Tech on ESPN. At the same time, Ark.-Pine Bluff will face No. 25 Missouri, with the game airing on SECN.

Later in the evening, UAB meets Illinois at 9:00 PM ET on BTN, while Idaho takes on No. 21 Utah at the same time on ESPU.

With games spread across multiple networks and time slots, college football fans will have plenty to choose from throughout Thursday night. Whether you’re looking for a Power Four matchup or an intriguing under-the-radar contest, there’s something worth watching across the schedule.

MLB 

Thursday’s MLB schedule features nine games, with the first pitch coming at 12:35 PM ET. The San Francisco Giants take on the Pittsburgh Pirates, with coverage available on SNP and NBCSBA. Blade Tidwell might start for San Francisco, while Pittsburgh’s starter remains TBD.

At 1:10 PM ET, the Toronto Blue Jays face the Cleveland Guardians on CLEG and Sportsnet. José Soriano will take the mound for Toronto, while Tanner Bibee gets the start for Cleveland. The Chicago White Sox then meet the Houston Astros at 2:10 PM ET, with Luis Castillo and Hunter Brown listed as the starting pitchers. Fans can catch that game on SCHN and CHSN.

The evening schedule begins at 7:15 PM ET with two games airing on FOX. The Boston Red Sox face the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, while the Milwaukee Brewers battle the Chicago Cubs. Logan Henderson is scheduled to start for Milwaukee, with Kevin Gausman taking the ball for Chicago.

At 7:40 PM ET, the Miami Marlins take on the Kansas City Royals, with coverage on ROYL and MIAM. Sandy Alcantara will start for Miami, while Michael Wacha is set to pitch for Kansas City.

The Tampa Bay Rays then face the Texas Rangers at 8:05 PM ET at Globe Life Field, with the game airing on RSN and RAYS. Later, the Athletics meet the Seattle Mariners at 9:40 PM ET at T-Mobile Park, with coverage on SEAM and NBCSCA.

The final game of the night comes at 10:10 PM ET, when the St. Louis Cardinals take on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Quinn Mathews is scheduled to start for St. Louis, while Tarik Skubal gets the nod for Los Angeles. Fans can follow the game on SNLA and CARD.

For Thursday’s viewing guide, the two 7:15 PM ET games on FOX offer a chance to follow two MLB games at once, while the later matchups provide plenty of baseball to close out the night.

Tennis

The US Open continues with another full day of second-round action, giving tennis fans plenty to follow across Tennis Channel, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and the ESPN App.

Coverage begins at 9:00 AM ET with Tennis Channel Live at the US Open on Tennis Channel, running through 11:30 AM ET. From there, ESPN takes over with second-round matches from 11:30 AM to 6:00 PM ET.

The evening coverage picks up at 6:00 PM ET with US Open Match Point on ESPN2, followed by Primetime – Second Round from 7:00 to 11:00 PM ET on the same network. Meanwhile, ESPN Deportes will carry second-round matches from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM ET, giving fans another option to follow the tournament.

For those looking to keep tabs on matches across different courts, the US Open Red Zone Feed will be available on the ESPN App from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM ET. The All Courts stream will also run from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM ET, allowing viewers to follow the action from morning through the evening.

So, those are the broadcast schedules for Thursday. There will be no WNBA games during the FIBA World Cup break, which will run through mid-September. Beyond that, fans won’t have any NFL games or MLS matchups.

With that in mind, the games mentioned above should provide enough variety to keep you entertained throughout the day. So, pick your favorites, settle in, and enjoy Thursday’s sports action.