CBS Sports Network kicks off its 2024 college football season coverage with four games in Week 1, including three games featuring service academy schools. It all starts with a premier Thursday night game against two top Group of Five teams in Coastal Carolina and Jacksonville State.
The action continues Friday night when Army opens its season against Lehigh. The Black Knights are heavy favorites as they try to end a recent postseason drought. This will also mark Army’s first game as a member of the American Athletic Conference. The program found a suitable league home during the latest wave of conference realignment after years as an independent.
Saturday brings a double-header featuring Navy and Air Force. The Midshipmen are set to host Bucknell, while Air Force plays Merrimack within the friendly confines of Falcon Stadium. Navy and Air Force are both hoping to rapidly tune up before both squads start conference play in Week 2.
CBS Sports Network will be with you every step of the way once the Week 1 games begin. In the meantime, get caught up on viewing information, storylines, betting odds and more for each matchup.
All times Eastern | Odds via SportsLine consensus
Coastal Carolina at Jacksonville State
Date: Thursday, Aug. 29 | Time: 8 p.m.
Location: AmFirst Stadium — Jacksonville, Alabama
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App (Free)
Spread: Jacksonville State -2.5 | Will the Gamecocks cover? Check out SportsLine’s Week 1 projections here
One of the most intriguing Group of Five matchups of the entire season sees Coastal Carolina travel to face Conference USA’s Jacksonville State. Both the Chanticleers and Gamecocks are fairly recent FCS transplants, with the 2023 season marking Jax State’s first at the FBS level. Coach Rich Rodriguez’s team acclimated well, finishing with a 9-4 record — including a win in the New Mexico Bowl — and claiming third in the Conference USA standings. Coastal Carolina, which made the jump from the FCS in 2017, posted its fourth straight winning season in 2023, though its eight wins were the fewest in a single season since 2019.
Lehigh at Army
Date: Friday, Aug. 30 | Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Michie Stadium — West Point, New York
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App (Free)
Spread: Army -33.5 | Will the Black Knights cover? Check out SportsLine’s Week 1 projections here
Year 11 of the Jeff Monken era is set to commence, though it’s going to look a lot different. For the first time since 2004, when they were members of Conference USA, the Black Knights are ditching their independence and will compete in the AAC. It will be a big adjustment for Army, which hasn’t made a bowl game since 2021 despite back-to-back six-win seasons. Army is also hoping to hold on to the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy — which it has won in three of the past four years (counting shared titles) — against Navy and Air Force. A convincing win against Lehigh would be a good start to a year filled with intrigue.
Bucknell at Navy
Date: Saturday, Aug. 31 | Time: Noon
Location: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium — Annapolis, Maryland
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App (Free)
Spread: Navy -33.5 | Will the Midshipmen cover? Check out SportsLine’s Week 1 projections here
Navy is hoping second-year coach Brian Newberry can build off of 2023’s 5-7 effort. Though that record may not be impressive on its face, it was the Midshipmen’s best single-season performance since 2019’s breakout 11-2 campaign. Navy was picked to finish 11th in the preseason AAC media poll — six spots behind top rival and conference newcomer Army — but Newberry’s squad does return several leaders on both sides of the ball. The Midshipmen brought in new offensive coordinator Drew Cronic to take the reigns on an offense that led the AAC in rushing a year ago.
Merrimack at Air Force
Date: Saturday, Aug. 31 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Falcon Stadium — Colorado Springs, Colorado
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App (Free)
Air Force coach Troy Calhoun has quietly built his Falcons into a Group of Five powerhouse. They boast an impressive 29-10 record over the past three years and even spent a few weeks during the 2023 season ranked inside the AP Top 25. But debuting at No. 25 in last year’s initial College Football Playoff Rankings, the Falcons suffered four straight losses to close the regular season. Air Force starts its journey for a bounce back against FCS Merrimack, which went 5-6 last season.
