While season football fans already have their fantasy football teams stacked and pre-season games playing full blast on their televisions, we still have a little bit longer to wait for the official kickoff of the college football and NFL seasons. Here’s when they begin.
When does college football start?
The college football season is approaching quickly, with the kickoff on Aug. 23, featuring Iowa State and Kansas State facing off in Dublin, Ireland.
When does the NFL season start?
We still have a few weeks to go for the start of the NFL season, with the kick-off on Sept. 4, when the Dallas Cowboys will take on the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.
When are Florida’s first NFL games?
Florida’s NFL teams, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will start their season on Sept. 7
How long does football season last?
Once college football season kicks off, it will last for 14 weeks, with championship games in December. The NFL season, however, will have a longer lifespan, spanning 18 weeks, followed by playoff games and culminating in the Super Bowl in February.
When and where is the Super Bowl 2026?
Super Bowl 2026 is planned for Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
16 popular Pensacola area sports bars to catch the game
Now that you have the timeline in place, you’re ready to start planning where to watch. Here are 16 popular Pensacola area sports bars to choose from, where you’ll never miss a game.
Sammy Barker’s
875 E. Nine Mile Road, 850-912-6000
Sammy Barker’s is a popular spot on East Nine Mile Road for its American street food – Pensacony dogs, Red White N Bleu burgers and a wide variety of local and regional craft beer. But during football season, a whole new batch of fans pile in to catch a game, particularly fans of the Philadelphia Eagles. During NFL season, expect to see gameday deals such as $12.99 domestic pitchers, $17.99 domestic buckets, $6 house wine and seltzers and $1.99 Jello shots. Sammy Barker’s has Sunday Ticket and shows most out-of-market games.
NYN Badlands
23 Palafox Place, 850-432-7823
Badlands, a downtown Pensacola hub located in the heart of Palafox Street, is unique to the list as it is not typically known as a “sports bar,” but rather as a roadside bar that shows sports. You’ll find numerous TVs, a close-knit group of friends and a selection of cold beer and cocktails to accompany the game.
Sidelines Sports Bar Pensacola
2 Via de Luna Drive, 850-934-3660
Sidelines is not only steps away from Pensacola Beach’s white sand, but has 38 HD TVs for football lovers to enjoy, including eight 52-inch HDTV big screens. They have been a fan-favorite on Pensacola Beach for sports coverage since 1992, and show most Big 10, SEC, ACC games and most ESPN+ games. Call ahead at 850-934-3660 to find out if they can show the team you’re looking for.
200 South
200 S. Palafox St., 850-466-5918
200 South is a go-to downtown Pensacola hangout for watch parties this football season, with over 17 TVs in 200 South, more than 300 beers to choose from, more than 40 TVs complex-wide, and drink specials.
The Ticket Sports Bar
Multiple locations
The Ticket Sports Bar is a go-to spot for Pensacola football fans, with three locations in the Pensacola area: 7333 N. Davis Highway, 1370 W. Nine Mile Road and 820 E. Gregory St.
A full food menu is served at the North Davis Highway and West Nine Mile Road locations, featuring appetizers, chicken tenders and wings, burgers and sandwiches, hand-tossed pizzas, and calzones.
Perfect Plain Brewing Co.
50 E. Garden St.
Perfect Plain hosts college games each Saturday at 11 a.m. To kick off the season, Perfect Plain will be hosting a tailgate festival on Aug. 30. They will host a tailgate cook-off from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., in addition to having live music, food trucks, dunk tanks, games, bounce houses and two projectors to watch the game with sound on. Follow Perfect Plain Brewing Co. online for more information.
Bubba’s 33
7001 N. Davis Highway, 850-876-8700
Bubba’s 33 is a franchise known for its in-house, from-scratch-made food and family-friendly sports bar environment. The franchise also prides itself on a wide variety of draft and bottled beer, including domestic, craft, import and cider beers. They have “enough screens to rival Times Square,” according to the Bubba’s 33 website, giving guests a “front-row seat to all the action” regardless of where in the restaurant they sit. The menu has a little bit of everything, including starters, salads, wings, pizza, burgers, sandwiches, dinners and desserts.
Calvert’s in the Heights
670 Scenic Highway, 850-332-5838
If you’re looking for less of a rowdy sports bar experience and more of a cozy English themed pub, Calvert’s in the Heights will be showing all the major NFL games this season with over a dozen TVs and some games shown on the restaurant’s projector in either the main dining room or pub-room. Follow the restaurant’s Facebook page for food and drink specials during football season.
Seville Quarter
130 E. Government St., 850-434-6211
Seville Quarter, a seven-room bar complex established in 1967, has 26 TVs throughout the complex, and is known as the college football headquarters. You’ll see the place fill up with Florida State Seminoles and Florida Gators fans. On Sundays, you’ll also see fans gather around for a Saints game. Whatever games they don’t have, they’ll try their best to get.
O’Riley’s Irish Pub Downtown and Uptown Tavern
Downtown: 321 S. Palafox St., 850-912-4001; Uptown Tavern: 3728 Creighton Road, (850) 474-0522
If there’s a major football game on, O’Riley’s is likely playing it. On college football days, you’ll be sure to see Auburn and Notre Dame fans, as the official watch parties take over parts of the bar. There are variety of specials offered for all live games – both college and NFL. Follow O’Rileys online to see what they have in the works.
Sir Richard’s Public House
2719 E. Cervantes St., 850-434-9828
Sir Richard’s hosts football watch parties throughout the season with a host of specials during live games, including local channel games throughout the entire season. Sir Richard’s, which opened in 1966, is a vintage English pub with pool tables, darts, karaoke and traditional cocktails.
Mugs & Jugs
12080 Scenic Highway, 850-474-4804
Mugs & Jugs is a dive bar and drive-thru/walk-in package store in Pensacola that has become a community favorite for service industry nights, Whiskey Wednesday karaoke and other weekly events.
Mugs & Jugs will have watch parties throughout football season, with specials during live games, as well as local channel games live throughout the season.
Perdido Key Sports Bar & Restaurant
13583 Perdido Key Drive, 850-332-6403
Perdido Key locals have a sure-fire spot to catch a game at the family-owned and operated Perdido Key Sports Bar & Restaurant. The restaurant offers over 40 TVs to ensure customers can catch all the action, in addition to an expansive food and drink menu.
The menu offers a variety of half-pound charbroiled burgers, jumbo wings, fried seafood baskets, sandwiches, salads, wraps, tacos and more.
Slidsters Tap House
4584 Gulf Breeze Parkway, 850-733-3721
Gulf Breeze has a new go-to restaurant for mouthwatering smash burgers, top-of-the-line draft beer, and plenty of TVs to never miss a sports game.
Owners Scott and Latasha “Tasha” Day have opened a new “micro sports bar” called Slidsters Tap House, offering a family-friendly environment built on years of Scott’s recipes. The concept was born from combining the comforts of a local restaurant small enough to learn everyone’s name, with all the frills of a sports bar, including 20 TVs in their 48-seat restaurant and a state-of-the-art magnetic beer dispensing system.
Play
16 Palafox Place, 850-466-2095
Play is widely known for bringing an arcade bar to the heart of downtown Pensacola, but during NFL season, it’s the place Chicago Bears fans call home.
During each game, you can expect to find a line of fans down the bar with the Bears up on the big screen. When they win, you’ll hear the roars of victory bellowing through the Bears bar. The Pensacola Chicago Bears Fan Club has been meeting for 10 years and meets at Play for all noon games, according to the Pensacola Chicago Bears Fan Club Facebook group.
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s
1 New Market St., 850-332-5040
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in Cantonment is where you’ll find the Steelers fans pile in sporting their best black-and-gold attire. Beef ‘O’ Brady’s offers over 50 televisions to catch the game. It’s also family-friendly, and kids get one free entree off the kids’ menu with the purchase of an adult entree. Fans will travel far and wide to participate in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Steelers fandom.
Lianna Norman, USA TODAY NETWORK, contributed to this report.