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College Football's Week 0 to Feature First Top-25 Matchup in Over 20 Years
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The 2025 college football season is officially starting out with a bang.
Following the release of the AP's first Top 25 list on Monday, the Week 0 rivalry matchup between Iowa State and Kansas State—also known as Farmageddon—will feature ranked opponents with the Cyclones coming in at No. 17 and the Wildcats at No. 24.
It's the first time since 2002 that Week 0 will feature a Top-25 game.
The season-opening contest between Iowa State and Kansas State will be held at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, as part of the Aer Lingus Football Classic. 2025 marks the fourth straight year that the college football campaign will kick off overseas.
Matt Campbell’s Cyclones enter 2025 fresh off a thrilling Pop-Tarts Bowl victory, while Chris Klieman’s Wildcats are coming off a 9-4 campaign capped by a Rate Bowl win over Rutgers.
The Aer Lingus Classic is set to kick off at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 23.
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Mike Kadlick is a senior NFL news writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.