Rece Davis calls for significant shift to the start of college football season

The hosts of ESPN's College GameDay Podcast discussed the potential benefits of moving the college football regular season calendar to start one week earlier. Rece Davis, the show's host, and ESPN insider Pete Thamel highlighted the advantages of enhancing Week 0 with higher-profile matchups. Davis suggested that starting earlier could address the issue of lighter Week 0 games and reduce overlap with the NFL playoffs. Thamel noted that games in Week 0 avoid NFL competition, often resulting in high viewership ratings, as seen in past notable matchups like Georgia Tech vs. Florida State. The shift could benefit college football by increasing exposure and viewership, but it would require coordination with major television partners to implement.