Whether you’re jumping into college football right from the beginning with the Week Zero games or right on the cusp of Bowl season, college football always promises an exhilarating sports-watching experience.
But how can you ensure you’ll be able to catch all of the gridiron action every day throughout the entire season schedule?
Here’s your ultimate guide to the 2025-2026 college football season. Find out when the season starts, find college football schedules, how to watch and more right here.
How to Watch College Football in 2025-2026
Finding your favorite college football games can be a challenge when there’s so many different telecasts to choose from and games often happening at the same time.
Catching all the action is easy with DIRECTV makes it easy. With the CHOICE™ Signature TV Package and above or the MySports™ Genre Pack™, you’ll get the BIG Ten Network, SEC Network and alongside staples like FOX and FS1. This ensures you’ll enjoy more live sports year-round than with any other TV provider.
Where to Watch College Football on TV
NCAA college football is televised across numerous channels, depending on what conference your favorite team falls under. Where you’ll be able to watch games all season also depends on where you live.
Below is a breakdown of the biggest CFB conferences and the networks they partner with to bring you games live:
- ACC: ABC, CW, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN Select
- American: ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN Select, CBS
- Big Ten:FOX, FS1, FOX Deportes, Fox One, CBS, Paramount+, NBC, Peacock, Big Ten Network
- Big 12: FOX, FS1, FOX Deportes, Fox One, ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN Select
- Ivy League: ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN Select
- Mid-American: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN Select, CBS Sports Network
- Missouri Valley: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN Select
- Mountain West: FOX, FS1, Fox One, CBS, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+
- Pac-12: CBS, Paramount+, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN Select, CW
- SEC: ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN Select
- Sun Belt: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN Select
2025-26 College Football Schedule
There are often numerous games played simultaneously every weekend during college football season. Find out which are kicking off soon or the best remaining matchups through the end the season. Explore the DIRECTV sports schedule, which includes both college football and NFL games.
What’s the Best Way to Watch College Football Without Cable?
For those who want to want college football without cable, streaming is often the best choice. You’ll find subscription packages that fit any fanbase and budget, and you won’t have to fiddle with antennas or deal with blackout dates. Here are some of the top streaming services for watching college football without cable:
- DIRECTV carries more live sports networks than any other streaming TV provider. Depending on the package you choose, you’ll get access to ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, FOX and FS1, plus the SEC Network, Big Ten Network and ACC Network.
- Choose from four signature packages with 100+ channels to get all your sports and entertainment content, or…
- Try MySports Genre Pack for free! MySports has 20+ of the sports channels airing college football games, plus access to ESPN Unlimited for no additional cost.
- ESPN Unlimited is a streaming app that is a separate service from ESPN. Some, but not all, college football games that air on ESPN are available on ESPN Unlimited. You can get ESPN Unlimited now included in MySports Genre Pack from DIRECTV at no extra charge!
- Fox One is a new streaming service that bundles a variety of FOX networks into one package, some of which air college football. That being said, you get Fox, FS1, FS2 and Big Ten Network included in the DIRECTV packages described above.
- Hulu+Live TV, Sling TV, Paramount+ have a variety of channels that air college football games. Some packages may be better than others, depending on what conferences you care about most.
How Does the NCAA Football Championship Work?
Last year, the NCAA expanded the NCAA Football Championship to a 12-team format. The top five highest-ranked conference champions fill out the field first, then the next seven top teams claim the remaining spots. Usually, the champs from the Big 12, ACC, SEC, and Big 10 conferences end up in the playoffs.
Unlike in most pro sports, the NCAA football championship’s top four teams are chosen by a 13-member selection committee made up of administrators, former coaches and players that ranks the teams based on performance criteria.
This year’s top four teams will meet at either the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 8, 2026 or the or Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, with the winners of each advancing to the CFB National Championship.
What are the College Football Conferences?
| FBS (Division I-A Conferences) | FCS (Division I-AA Conferences) |
| American | ASUN-WAC |
| Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) | ASUN |
| Big 12 | Big Sky |
| Big Ten | Big South |
| Conference USA | CAA |
| FBS Independents | FCS Independents |
| Mid-American | Great West |
| Mountain West | Ivy |
| Pac-12 | MEAC |
| Southeastern Conference (SEC) | Missouri Valley |
| Sun Belt | Northeast |
| Ohio Valley | |
| OVC – Big South | |
| Patriot League | |
| Pioneer | |
| Southern | |
| Southland | |
| SWAC | |
| UAC |
How to Stream College Football on DIRECTV
The best way to stream college football games is with DIRECTV’s CHOICE or ULTIMATE/PREMIER packages, or with MySports Genre Pack, which offers access to only sports networks, ESPN Unlimited, cloud DVR and additional features.
Interested in a service that lets you access live sports, and only live sports? Try MySports™ Genre Pack™ today for free!
Frequently Asked Questions
When does college football start?
The 2025-26 college football season kicks off on August 29, 2025.
When is NCAA Football Championship?
The 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship Game will be played on Monday, January 20, 2025.
Where is the NCAA Football Championship Game in January?
The 2026 CFB National Championship will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL, home of the Miami Dolphins NFL team.
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