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Quick Answer: We recommend using DirecTV Stream to watch college online this season. Sign up for a free trial.
Dust off that old lucky jersey and get ready to tailgate: Another season of college football is here. But, for games that you can’t score tickets to, you’ll want to make sure your streaming setup is dialed in to watch college football games at home. Below is a full guide on how to livestream college football without cable — plus an easy hack to watch games for free.
Related: Where to Buy College Football Tickets Online
How to Watch College Football Without Cable
College football broadcasts are spread out across several channels and a couple of streaming services, so figuring out how to watch your team can be tricky. Local channels (ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC) show the most games, but ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, FS1, CBS Sports Network, and SEC Network also have college football broadcasts. All this in mind, we’ve selected a few of the best options below to watch college football without cable right now.
Editor’s Pick: DirecTV Stream
Free Trial: fuboTV
Also Consider: Sling
Budget Option: Digital Antenna
1. Stream College Football on DirecTV Stream
Our favorite live TV streaming service for sports (including college football) is DirecTV Stream. The service’s Choice package comes with over 100 channels, including local, national, and college sports channels. You get a five-day free trial to start, and then payment kicks in at $89.99 a month, currently discounted from the regular $99.99 per month price.
2. Stream College Football on fuboTV
With access to 14 channels broadcasting live college football games — including local, national, and college networks — fuboTV is a great way to watch college football online. fuboTV’s most affordable subscription tier gets you most of these channels, and costs $74.99 a month, but you’ll want the upgraded Elite plan ($84.99 a month) to get ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network as well. fuboTV also offers a one-day free trial before you pay.
3. Stream College Football on Sling TV
Another great live TV streaming service is Sling TV, which offers live TV streaming at a cheaper price than the above (although you get fewer channels). Sling TV’s Orange + Blue package (currently $30 a month your first month, $60 per month afterwards) is your best bet for watching college football. For even more sports channels, you can also grab Sling TV’s Sports Extra add-on for $15 a month.
4. Watch College Football With a Digital Antenna
One of the cheapest ways to watch college football is with a digital TV antenna, such as this one from Krevi. The compact device picks up the local channels — ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC — giving you free access to the big college football games in your area. Good ones, like the Krevi, also deliver 4K or 1080p full HD video quality, a wide signal-grabbing range, and a very easy installation process.
How to Stream College Football for Free Online
If you want to watch a few college football games for free (legally), you’re in luck: DirecTV Stream and fuboTV both offer free trials, as mentioned, which you can use to stream college football games for free. DirecTV Stream’s free trial lasts five days, and fuboTV’s lasts 24 hours.
2023 College Football Schedule
The 2023-24 NCAA football season is currently in Week 10, with games including Northern Illinois at Central Michigan, Buffalo at Toledo, TCU at Texas Tech, Wake Forest at Duke and more — all of which you can livestream without cable. Expect the bulk of games on Saturdays, a few on Thursdays and Fridays, and a handful on Tuesday. The 2024 CFP National Championship Game is scheduled for January 8 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. See the 2023-24 college football schedule here.
Where to Buy College Football Merch Online
Once you’re set up with a way to watch NCAA football games, it’s time to get spirited with some of the best college football merch. Our favorite place to buy college football merch online is Fanatics.com, which has a massive selection of officially licensed gear, including jerseys, everyday clothing, accessories, and even decor.