You can watch college football games live without cable with one of the following options: Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV or YouTube TV. In this article, we’ll help you decide which streaming option is best for you. Let’s get started!
Before we continue, we want to highlight a particularly relevant stream for news, sports, and entertainment. Sling TV is one of the best options for streaming with a rich catalogue of 50+ live channels and 50k+ on-demand movies and episodes. Try Sling TV today.
Watch College Football on Hulu with Live TV
Hulu with Live TV‘s major selling point is its huge on-demand catalog. When there’s nothing interesting on live, you can choose from thousands of TV episodes and movies. Another nice thing about this service is that it has good college football channel coverage.
Hulu with Live TV Pricing and Packages
Hulu’s main subscription plan comes with over 60 other cable TV staples. The base cost is similar to what other services charge for their least expensive plans.
| Hulu + Live TV No Hassle TV $69.99/ month | 75+ Live TV Channels 2 simultaneous streams Unlimited DVR Disney+ and ESPN+ Included | SIGN UP |
| Hulu + Live TV No Ads $79.99/ month | 75+ Live TV Channels 2 simultaneous streams Unlimited DVR Disney+ and ESPN+ Included | SIGN UP |
For more information about Hulu with Live TV’s plans, click here.
Hulu with Live TV Channels
From family entertainment to sports to local broadcast networks, Hulu with Live TV has a lot to offer college football fans. Channels that broadcast college football that come with Hulu with Live TV include ABC, ESPN, ESPNU, ESPN2, ESPN3, SEC Network and Big 10 Network. A recent addition to the lineup is ACC Network, which comes with the base plan. Hulu with Live TV also unlocks the Fox Sports Go app, which broadcasts college sports content.
Click here to see the full list of Hulu with Live TV channels.
Hulu with Live TV Supported Devices
Hulu with Live TV has above average support for TV devices. Whether your have an Amazon Fire TV or Roku, you’ll likely find a Hulu with Live TV app.
Click here to learn more about devices that work with Hulu with Live TV.
Hulu with Live TV DVR
If you hate commercials, you may want to consider buying Hulu with Live TV’s DVR upgrade. Without it, you’ll have to sit through repetitive advertisements when you watch your recordings.
Click here to learn more about Hulu with Live TV’s DVR.
Hulu with Live TV On-Demand Library
Hulu has one of the largest libraries of on-demand content on the internet. Hulu with Live TV subscribers can watch Hulu originals and all the other shows and movies for free.
Learn more about Hulu with Live TV’s on-demand library here.
Watch College Football on Sling TV
If you like the idea of creating your own TV channel lineup, you may want to look into Sling TV. Sling TV was one of the first streaming services to hit the market and it’s still the leader when it comes to customization. It’s a great way to catch college football action and all kinds of other sports, as well.
Sling TV Pricing and Packages
Sling TV offers three options for new subscribers. You can choose between two base plans or get both base plans for a discounted price. After you get a base plan, you can expand your entertainment options by purchasing channel add-on packs.
* You get 1 stream for Sling Orange channels and up to 3 simultaneous streams for Sling Blue channels.
Sling Orange
Great Value
$40.00/ month
Try Sling
Sling Blue
Great Value$40.00/ month
Try Sling
Sling Orange + Blue
Best Value
$55.00/ month
Try Sling
To learn more about Sling TV pricing, check here.
Sling TV Channels
Sling TV carries all the ESPN channels, SEC Network, ACC Network and Pac 12 Network. However, it still hasn’t signed many local ABC affiliate stations– so you may need to use your TV antenna when ABC is broadcasting the college football game you want to see. Another downside is that Sling TV doesn’t carry Big 10 Network.
To learn more about Sling TV channels, check here.
Sling TV Supported Devices
Sling TV has great device support, probably because it’s been around longer than most competing streaming services.
Check here for more info on Sling TV’s supported devices.
Sling TV Simultaneous Streams
With Sling Blue, you get three simultaneous streams. That’s more than industry standard (which is two streams), and more than you’d get with Sling Orange (only one stream).
To learn more about Sling TV’s simultaneous streams, click here.
Sling TV DVR
Sling TV got much more competitive when it upgraded its DVR. Since the recording feature now works with the ESPN channels, Sling Orange is an even better deal. All subscribers get ten hours free and there’s an upgrade that will unlock additional storage space.
To learn more about Sling TV’s DVR, check here.
Sling TV On-Demand Library
Sling TV does have an on-demand content library, but it’s somewhat limited compared to some streaming services.
Click here to learn more about Sling TV’s on-demand library.
Watch College Football on YouTube TV
If you don’t have a TV antenna, YouTube TV could be your best option for cutting the cord. One of the best things about Google’s YouTube TV is the fact that it has great support for NBC, FOX, CBS and ABC. However, the fact that the menu doesn’t include several college sports channels that air college football games may be a turnoff for some.
YouTube TV Pricing and Packages
YouTube TV recently raised its subscription rates. The base subscription is still competitively priced, though. It comes with around 70 channels.
To learn more about YouTube TV’s pricing options, click here.
YouTube TV Channels
The base subscription comes with all the ESPN channels that air college football games, plus ABC and SEC Network. ACC Network and Big 10 Network are new additions to the lineup.
To learn more about YouTube TV’s channel list, click here.
YouTube TV Supported Devices
Now that the YouTube TV app is back in the Amazon app store, YouTube TV has excellent TV device support:
- TV streaming media players: Apple TV (4th gen and up), Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and Roku (most models).
- Smart TVs: Android TV (select models), Samsung TV (2016+ models only), LG TV (2016+ models only), Vizio (select SmartCast models), Hisense (select models), Sharp (select models).
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android (5.0 and up), iOS (9.1 and up).
- Game consoles: Xbox One (all versions).
- Desktop browsers: Most Mac and PC browsers.
Click here to learn more about YouTube TV supported devices.
YouTube TV Simultaneous Streams
YouTube TV supports three simultaneous streams.
To learn more about YouTube TV’s simultaneous streams, click here.
YouTube TV DVR
YouTube TV’s has an unlimited cloud DVR. You don’t have to pay extra to use it, either.
Click here to learn more about YouTube TV’s DVR options.
YouTube TV On-Demand Library
YouTube TV has an above-average on-demand library compared to other similar services.
Click here to learn more about YouTube TV’s on-demand library.
How to Watch College Football on Amazon Fire TV
You can watch college football on Amazon Fire TV with one of these streaming services: Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV or YouTube TV. Free trials will let you find out how you like each service. Just download the apps from the Amazon app store to get started.
How to Watch College Football on Roku
You can watch college football on Roku with one of these streaming services: Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV or YouTube TV. Go to Roku’s app store and download the app that meets your entertainment needs.
How to Watch College Football on Apple TV
You can watch college football on Apple TV with one of these streaming services: Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV or YouTube TV. Apple’s app store has all the apps. They all have free trials, so you could even install them all on your Apple TV if you want to compare them.
Channels that Broadcast College Football Games
ESPN channels
Obviously, ESPN is king when it comes to college football.
A glance at this ESPN’s college football schedule reveals that ESPN will broadcast 18 different college football games this Saturday across its various channels. Each game lasts about 3 hours, so that’s 54 hours of college football to digest. If you still want more after watching all that football, then you might want to seek the help of a trained professional.
ESPN
The main ESPN channel is crucial if you want to watch the most important NCAA football games, so be sure that whatever service you go with has it.
In addition to airing marquee matchups on Thursday nights, ESPN also broadcasts the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl as well as the Peach Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, the Cotton Bowl Classic and the College Football Playoff National Championship.
ESPNU
With ESPNU, you can tune in to watch various college football matchups on Thursdays during primetime, Saturdays at noon, Saturday afternoon and on Saturday during primetime.
ESPN2
ESPN2 is not as essential as the main ESPN channel and ESPNU, but you’ll be able to watch more games throughout the week if you can get it. With ESPN2, you can watch college football teams square off on Sundays, Fridays and sometimes on other days.
ESPN3
ESPN3 is the best way to watch low-profile college football games – but it’s different from the other ESPN channels. Basically, ESPN3 is a special “bonus” internet channel for cable TV subscribers and subscribers of some (but not all) cable replacement services. You can find a ton of college football coverage during the season via ESPN3, including lots of small market college football games. Check out ESPN3’s full college broadcast schedule to see everything you can get with ESPN3.
- Tip: If you access WatchESPN.com or the WatchESPN or ESPN mobile application via an on-campus (.edu) or on-base (.mil) network you can get ESPN3 content for free.
ABC
The other network that broadcasts national college football games is ABC. Most (but not all) ABC games are also carried by ESPN. You can either get ABC through your TV antenna or through an internet-based cable replacement service that carries your local ABC affiliate.
It’s a good idea to make sure that ABC is available in your area before you sign up with any cable replacement plan. Most cable TV replacement services provide a way to find out exactly what you’ll get before you buy on their official websites.
Conference-specific channels
If you follow a specific team, you may want to check its conference’s website to find out if you can watch games online. There are 11 I-A college football conferences, and some have set up their own TV networks.
Some conferences give away content for free, but others make you pay for access. Still others won’t let you watch at all unless you buy a cable TV subscription and log in with TV Everywhere.
Here is a brief summary of what 4 of the major college football conferences have to offer in the way of live streams.
ACC Network
The ACC Network has partnered up with ESPN, so if you get a cable replacement service that lets you log into watchESPN you can watch live ACC college football games there. You can also watch live games for free via the ACC website or via the free ACC app.
Big 10 Network
You can get online access to the Big 10 Network without cable by buying a single team “School Pass” ($80 for the season, $10 monthly) or with a “Conference Pass” ($120 for the season, $15 monthly). If you have cable, you may be able to log in for free with your TV Everywhere credentials.
Pac 12 Network
The Pac-12 Network is stingy when it comes to its content. The league does have a streaming service, but there is no internet-only subscription option. You need a cable subscription to log in with TV Everywhere via the Pac 12 app or on the web via pac-12.com/live.
SEC Network
The SEC Network has also partnered up with ESPN, so if you get the right cable replacement service you’ll be able to watch SEC college football games on watchESPN or via the SEC Network’s official site.
Fox College Sports
Fox airs Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-12 matchups across 3 cable channels: Fox College Sports Central, Fox College Sports Atlantic and Fox College Sports Pacific.
Why you may have to rely on your TV antenna for local broadcasts
Most cable replacement services offer local TV, but they’re still working out deals – so local TV coverage is spotty in rural areas. If whatever internet-based cable replacement service you decide to get hasn’t worked out a contract with the affiliate in your area, you’ll have to use your TV antenna to catch local broadcast games.
You can’t opt to get local TV from somewhere else
If you follow a well-known team like the Longhorns or Notre Dame, there’s a big chance that most of the games will be televised nationally and you’ll be able to tune in via the web via ABC and the ESPN channels. However, if you follow a lesser-known team and you live far away from wherever that team is located, you’re going to miss some games.
The exact set of local channels you’ll get when you subscribe to a cable replacement service is totally dependent on your physical location. Unfortunately, all the cable replacement services force you to accept whatever regional channels are available in your particular locale.
Why Isn’t There an Official Streaming Service for NCAA Football?
In 1984, the NCAA football teams went to court and won the right to negotiate their own TV contracts. The landmark ruling ushered in a new era in college sports at the time. However, the web of business deals that sprung up in the wake of the decision seems to be standing in the way of the establishment of a single go-to college football streaming site.
Alex Munkachy is a freelance writer, game developer and hobby robotics enthusiast. You can find his blog about robotics news and reviews at robotfanatics.com.
