How to watch college football live without cable 2025

Where to watch College Football

College football fans require a baseline of channels, including ESPN, Fox, NBC, ABC, Fox Sports 1, and TNT. You'll also need that conference's network if your team is in the ACC, Big Ten or SEC. Here’s a look at which streaming services give you the options you need: 

Watch college football on the DIRECTV Streaming App

The DIRECTV Streaming App is an expensive option, but a good choice for avid college football fans. You’ll want the Choice package if you’re a fan of a team playing in the ACC, SEC or Big Ten. For a slightly higher price, the Ultimate package includes almost all of the channels you’ll need for college football like ESPN, CBS Sports Network, Fox, ABC and Fox Sports 1.

The benefit of choosing DIRECTV STREAM over satellite is that you can cancel without penalty, you won’t have to pay an additional ARS fee, and you receive unlimited cloud DVR and home device streams.

Watch college football on Hulu + Live TV

Hulu offers unique features with its live TV service that you won’t find with other providers. The live TV service is fantastic, offering ESPN, the Big Ten Network, the CBS Sports Network, Fox Sports 1, Fox, ABC and TNT. And if you opt for the plan that includes the Disney Bundle, you’ll also get Disney Plus and ESPN Plus. 

ESPN Plus is a must-have for college football fans, as it carries a plethora of exclusive college football games each week. ESPN Plus is also available as a standalone service, but getting it as part of Hulu + Live TV with the Disney Bundle unlocks the most value.

Watch college football on Sling TV

Sling TV is an affordable alternative to other streaming options. Depending on your favorite team, the Sling Orange plan might be a great fit. It has three ESPN channels and TNT, allowing you to stream every playoff game. Sling Blue carries Fox (in some areas) and Fox Sports 1.

However, if you want access to other networks, you’ll need some add-ons. Sling Orange customers receive the SEC and ACC Networks in the Sports Extra plan. The Sling Blue Sports Extra has Big Ten Network and Fox Sports 2.

A drawback of Sling TV is its inconsistent local channel availability. If you don’t live in a metro carrying local channels from Sling TV, you can get them with a digital antenna.

Watch college football on Fubo

Fubo is a good option for football fans. The Pro package includes regional sports networks, your local broadcast affiliates, ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports 1, CBS Sports Network and the Big Ten Network. Note that a regional sports fee may apply depending on the area served.

If you want more conference-specific networks, you’ll need to bundle the Pro package with the Sports Lite add-on. The Sports Lite plan has the SEC Network, the ACC Network, ESPNU and NBA TV. Each Fubo plan has unlimited Cloud DVR recording space and up to 10 device streams on your home network.

Watch college football on YouTube TV

YouTube TV offers college football fans an excellent choice of options. The base plan includes ESPN, Fox, ABC, Fox Sports 1, CBS Sports Network, Big Ten Network, ACC Network and SEC Network.

Furthermore, it features unlimited DVR. You can set up recordings easily by adding your favorite football team at setup. If you join a game midway through, you can stream key highlights before joining the game in progress. YouTube TV has the tools, value and channel offerings to appeal to the most avid college football fans.

College football schedule

The college football season kicks off on Saturday, August 23rd, with five contests highlighted by a top 25 matchup taking place in Ireland. The following Saturday, the first full week of play begins. The regular season culminates on Saturday, November 29th.

Meanwhile, the first-round playoff games begin on Friday, December 19th. The national championship game is on Monday, January 19th. 

You can find a complete and detailed schedule of college football games on ESPN’s website. 

FAQ

How can I watch college football for free?

Sign up for the free trials offered by streaming providers. You’ll receive a few days to a week to test out the platform. You can also purchase a digital antenna to stream games on local broadcast networks. 

Can you watch college football on Amazon Prime?

No, Amazon Prime doesn’t carry college football games. It does carry the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football.”

Can I watch college football on Peacock?

Yes, Peacock will broadcast select Notre Dame and Big Ten games. To see the broadcast schedule, visit Peacock’s website.