For the second year in a row, the University of Hawaii will be the opening performer for the NCAA’s 2017 football season.

The Rainbow Warriors will play a road game against Massachusetts on Aug. 26. The nonconference game originally was scheduled for Oct. 7. It was moved to the so-called Week Zero, which is the weekend before the usual start to the college football season.

The NCAA created the Week Zero exemption to help UH’s scheduling. The exemption was intended for teams playing in Hawaii. UH received an NCAA waiver to apply the exemption to this road game.

By moving the game, the Warriors avoid traveling across the country during their anticipated conference schedule. The Mountain West Conference is expected to release its 2017 schedule soon.

As the NCAA opener, the game also could be televised nationally, which probably would not have occurred if it remained in the Oct. 7 slot.

The Warriors are scheduled to play 12 regular-season games this year. It is not known if they will add a 13th regular-season game, as permitted, or maintain a schedule with two byes. The Warriors are set to play nonconference games against UMass and UCLA on the road and Western Carolina and Brigham Young at Aloha Stadium.

Last year, the Warriors opened the season against California in the Sydney Cup in Australia on Week Zero. That game was televised on ESPN.

The Warriors are in their second week of the offseason conditioning program.

They open the five weeks of spring training on Feb. 20. The spring game is scheduled for March 24.