We’re Exactly One Month Away From College Football

It’s officially almost that time again. As of Wednesday, July 23rd, we’re just one month away from the return of college football.

And it’s the Big 12 getting the first word in, with Kansas State and Iowa State set to kick off the 2025 season on foreign soil.

The Wildcats and Cyclones will open the season in Dublin, Ireland, on Friday, August 23rd, in a game that not only marks the first Power Four matchup of the year but also one that will count as a conference game instead of a non-conference matchup.

Kansas State enters the season as one of the league’s top contenders. After back-to-back nine-win campaigns and another stacked front seven, Chris Klieman’s group is aiming to reassert itself in the College Football Playoff conversation. Quarterback Avery Johnson returns as one of the most dynamic dual-threat players in the country and headlines what should be a high-efficiency offense built around speed and experience.

On the other side, Iowa State is looking to build on a strong second half from 2024, when Rocco Becht and a feisty Cyclone squad seized national attention with a run to the Big 12 title game. With most of the key pieces intact and Matt Campbell back on the sidelines for year ten, Iowa State has the pieces to make waves in a wide-open league.

From the location to the stakes to the statement it sends, the Aer Lingus College Football Classic has the makings of a season-launching spectacle. And with two of the Big 12’s most consistent programs taking the field first, it sets the tone for what could be the league’s most pivotal season yet.

The countdown is on. One month to go.