UConn football season opener moved to Thursday, August 31

UConn football will be opening its season on a Thursday after its first game was moved to August 31st by CBS Sports Network at a time to be determined.

The Huskies will take on NC State to kick off the 2023 campaign. It will be a tough start to a slate that appears to be quite challenging overall. In addition to NC State, UConn faces Tennessee, which ended last year ranked sixth in the nation, as well as Duke and James Madison, two top 50 teams. Games against Utah State, Georgia State, USF, and Boston College won’t be easy, either.

UConn football went 6-7 in 2022, Jim Mora’s first season at the helm. The Huskies ended the season with a loss to Marshall in the Myrtle Beach Bowl after a regular season that featured a victory over a ranked Liberty team and the program’s first win ever over Boston College. Multiple key players have transferred out from that squad, but a full summer of recruiting remains.

Personally, the early-season tailgates at The Rent are where some of my favorite football memories are made. It’s sad to lose that in favor of a Thursday-night opening date, but c’est la vie. We can get extra crazy in the lots for the Week 3 FIU game that kicks off a three-game home stand for UConn.