How to Watch College Football Games Online Without Cable

· Rolling Stone

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College football is back, making our Saturdays even better (before NFL Sundays). The NCAAF season kicked off Aug. 23, headlined by a huge matchup between the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes that saw the Trees come out on top.

At a Glance: How to Watch College Football Games

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We’re now headed into Week 3 of college football action, with big games like Ohio vs. Ohio State and LSU vs. Florida. If you still don’t have a way to watch college football, read on. Ahead, we’ve rounded up some of the best ways to livestream NCAA football this season, including options with free trials.

How to Watch College Football Games Online

College football broadcasts are spread out across many channels, including national networks like the ESPN channels, TNT, and FS1, local channels (ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS), and conference networks.

If you don’t have cable, your best bet for watching college football online is a comprehensive live TV streaming service like DirecTV, Fubo, Sling, or Hulu + Live TV, and ESPN+. Here’s a breakdown of these options, including how much they cost, free trial information, and channel lineups.

editor’s Pick

DirecTV

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➤ $69.99/month
➤ Five-day free trial
➤ Up to 185+ channels

The best streaming service for watching college football in 2025 is DirecTV. The service carries every channel showing NCAA football, and offers some of the best bang-for-your-buck in its MySports package. This plan carries 20+ sports channels, including ESPN, TNT, FS1, local channels, and conference networks. Plus, you get ESPN+ for free. All of this costs $69.99 a month after a five-day free trial.

Fubo

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➤ $55.99/month
➤ Five-day free trial
➤ Up to 300+ channels

Another one of the best cable alternatives for college football livestreams is Fubo. You can get up to 300+ channels, including almost every channel showing NCAA games this year (TNT is the only exception). Packages start at $55.99 a month — grab a five-day free trial to watch some of this weekend’s football games with Fubo’s current promo.

Sling

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➤ $45.99/month
➤ Short-term passes available
➤ Up to 46 channels

Sling is also a solid option for college football fans this year, offering most channels showing games. You can sign up for its top-tier Orange + Blue plan (starts at $60.99 a month) with the Sports Extra add-on (an additional $11 a month) for season-long coverage. But one of the best ways to use Sling is to take advantage of its new Flexible Passes for a day, a weekend, or a week of games. These passes start at just $4.99 for a Day Pass.

Hulu + Live TV

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➤ $81.99/month
➤ Three-day free trial
➤ 95+ channels

Hulu + Live TV will also get you access to almost every channel you need to watch college football this season, offering ESPN, TNT, FS1, local channels, and conference networks in its lineup of 95+ channels. Packages start at $81.99 a month, but for a dollar more ($82.99 a month), you can get Disney+, Hulu on-demand, and — crucially for NCAAF streams — ESPN+ included in your subscription.

2025 College Football Schedule

The 2025 college football regular season started on Aug. 23 and runs through Jan. 4, 2026. The 2025 CFP National Championship will be on Jan. 19.