Capping off the latest college football campaign is the 2024–2025 bowl season, where over 40 college bowl games will occur. It all begins on December 14 with the Celebration Bowl before wrapping up on January 20 with the College Football Playoff National Championship in Atlanta.
Most college football bowl games, like the coveted Rose Bowl Game, air across ESPN channels. But there are a few notable matchups that appear elsewhere on TV. So prep your game day snack roster and keep scrolling to learn how to watch college football’s mightiest competitions.
College football bowl game schedule
Below is a complete list of all 42 college football bowl games, including the 11 College Football Playoff matchups. With this guide, you can plan how to watch every game live leading up to the National Championship on January 20.
| Bowl | Teams | Date | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celebration Bowl | Jackson State vs. South Carolina State | Dec. 14, 2024 | 12:00 p.m. | ABC |
| Salute to Veterans Bowl | South Alabama vs. Western Michigan | Dec. 14, 2024 | 9:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Frisco Bowl | Memphis vs. West Virginia | Dec. 17, 2024 | 9:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Boca Raton Bowl | Western Kentucky vs. James Madison | Dec. 18, 2024 | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| LA Bowl | Cal vs. UNLV | Dec. 18, 2024 | 9:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| New Orleans Bowl | Georgia Southern vs. Sam Houston | Dec. 19, 2024 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Cure Bowl | Ohio vs. Jacksonville State | Dec. 20, 2024 | 12:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Gasparilla Bowl | Tulane vs. Florida | Dec. 20, 2024 | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| College Football Playoff (First-round games) | Various | Dec. 20–21, 2024 | Various | ESPN, ABC, TNT |
| Myrtle Beach Bowl | Coastal Carolina vs. UTSA | Dec. 23, 2024 | 11:00 a.m. | ESPN |
| Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State | Dec. 23, 2024 | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Hawai’i Bowl | South Florida vs. San José State | Dec. 24, 2024 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sports Bowl | Pittsburgh vs. Toledo | Dec. 26, 2024 | 2:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Rate Bowl | Rutgers vs. Kansas State | Dec. 26, 2024 | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| 68 Ventures Bowl | Arkansas State vs. Bowling Green | Dec. 26, 2024 | 9:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Armed Forces Bowl | Oklahoma vs. Navy | Dec. 27, 2024 | 3:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Birmingham Bowl | Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt | Dec. 27, 2024 | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Liberty Bowl | Texas Tech vs. Arkansas | Dec. 27, 2024 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Holiday Bowl | Syracuse vs. Washington State | Dec. 27, 2024 | 8:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Las Vegas Bowl | Texas A&M vs. USC | Dec. 27, 2024 | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Fenway Bowl | UNC vs. UConn | Dec. 28, 2024 | 11:00 a.m. | ESPN |
| Pinstripe Bowl | Boston College vs. Nebraska | Dec. 28, 2024 | 12:00 p.m. | ABC |
| New Mexico Bowl | Louisiana vs. TCU | Dec. 28, 2024 | 2:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| Pop-Tarts Bowl | Iowa State vs. Miami | Dec. 28, 2024 | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Arizona Bowl | Miami (OH) vs. Colorado State | Dec. 28, 2024 | 4:30 p.m. | The CW |
| Military Bowl | East Carolina vs. NC State | Dec. 28, 2024 | 5:45 p.m. | ESPN |
| Alamo Bowl | BYU vs. Colorado | Dec. 28, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Independence Bowl | Marshall vs. Army | Dec. 28, 2024 | 9:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| Music City Bowl | Iowa vs. Missouri | Dec. 30, 2024 | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| ReliaQuest Bowl | Alabama vs. Michigan | Dec. 31, 2024 | 12:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl | Louisville vs. Washington | Dec. 31, 2024 | 2:00 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ |
| Citrus Bowl | South Carolina vs. Illinois | Dec. 31, 2024 | 3:00 p.m. | ABC |
| Texas Bowl | Baylor vs. LSU | Dec. 31, 2024 | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Fiesta Bowl (College Football Playoff quarterfinal) | Boise State vs. Penn State | Dec. 31, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Peach Bowl (College Football Playoff quarterfinal) | Arizona State vs. Texas | Jan. 1, 2025 | 1:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Rose Bowl Game (College Football Playoff quarterfinal) | Oregon vs. Ohio State | Jan. 1, 2025 | 5:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sugar Bowl (College Football Playoff quarterfinal) | Georgia vs. Notre Dame | Jan. 2, 2025 | 4:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Gator Bowl | Duke vs. Ole Miss | Jan. 2, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| First Responder Bowl | North Texas vs. Texas State | Jan. 3, 2025 | 4:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Duke’s Mayo Bowl | Minnesota vs. Virginia Tech | Jan. 3, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Bahamas Bowl | Buffalo vs. Liberty | Jan. 4, 2025 | 11:00 a.m. | ESPN, ESPN2 |
| Orange Bowl (College Football Playoff semifinal) | Notre Dame vs. Penn State | Jan. 9, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Cotton Bowl Classic (College Football Playoff semifinal) | Ohio State vs. Texas | Jan. 10, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| College Football Playoff National Championship Game | Ohio State vs. Notre Dame | Jan. 20, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Data effective as of post date.
Best TV plans for watching college bowl games
Usually, we would recommend DIRECTV or Fubo for watching college football because they carry many college conference networks. But none of those channels air the postseason’s top bowl games.
Instead, you’re better off signing up for YouTube TV to watch all the bowls. At $72.99 a month, YouTube TV is slightly cheaper than Fubo and Hulu + Live TV, and it comes with the six primary college bowl channels. It also has unlimited DVR storage, no bulky equipment requirements, and a slick interface that’s easy to navigate.
One month of YouTube TV will get you through the entire college bowl season—meaning you can cancel after the National Championship Game to avoid paying for a second month. Though, it’s not too bad if you stick around longer because the NFL Playoffs start on January 11, 2025.
Sling TV is another good option if you’re looking to save even more money. The main downside to Sling TV is that it doesn’t offer CBS or The CW, while ABC is available only in select markets. But the Sling Orange plan ($45.99/mo.) carries ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3—that last one allows you to stream games that air on ABC.
You could also try getting those local channels over the air with a digital antenna, which we discuss in our free section below.
Which TV providers carry bowl games?
You can find bowl games across most TV providers. But to illustrate that point, we’ve listed some of the most popular services in the table below and whether they carry the main bowl game channels. (We left out ESPN2 because every provider that has ESPN also includes ESPN2.)
| Provider | Price | ABC | CBS | ESPN | FOX | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cox | $61.00–$152.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Read Cox review |
| DIRECTV | $74.99–$164.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read DIRECTV review |
| DIRECTV STREAM | $74.99–$154.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read DIRECTV STREAM review |
| DISH | $86.99–$116.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read DISH review |
| Fubo | $14.99–$94.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Fubo review |
| Hulu + Live TV | $81.99–$95.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Hulu + Live TV review |
| Optimum | $40.00–$135.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Optimum review |
| Philo | $28.00/mo. | — | — | — | — |
View plans Read Philo review |
| Sling TV | $45.99–$60.99/mo. | ✔* | — | ✔ | ✔* |
View plans Read Sling TV review |
| Spectrum | $45.00–$105.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Spectrum review |
| Verizon Fios | $95.00–$139.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Verizon Fios review |
| Xfinity | $20.00–$80.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Read Xfinity review |
| YouTube TV | $82.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read YouTube TV review |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*Available in select markets.
How to watch college bowl games for free
CableTV.com utilizes paid Amazon links. Amazon.com Price; $39.99 (as of 6/13/24 10:45 a.m. CT). Read full disclaimer.
During the college football postseason, you can watch several bowl games for free with an over-the-air (OTA) antenna connected to your TV. ABC, CBS, and FOX are popular OTA channels available nationwide. But you’ll first want to double-check that you live within range of each channel’s local network affiliate. One way to verify your location is by entering your zip code into the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Reception Map Tool.
If you don’t already own an antenna, you can get a pretty good one for anywhere between $20 to $60. The Mohu Leaf 50 is a great option if you live in the suburbs because its 60-mile range will likely get you the three OTA bowl channels and more. But you can check out our Best OTA Antennas page to browse other antenna options.
Even if you end up subscribing to a TV service to watch all those ESPN bowl games, it’s still wise to own an antenna. The one-time purchase is the most effective way to watch local TV, and you’ll even get access to other marquee sporting events depending on what channels are in your area. After all, both the Super Bowl and the World Series air on OTA channels.
Want to watch college football bowl games?
This season’s college football bowl games air on ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, and The CW. Most cable, satellite, and live TV streaming providers carry these channels, so it really comes down to what’s available in your area and what service type you prefer.
Our favorite service for watching bowl games is YouTube TV. It’s the cheapest way to stream all the bowl game channels in a single subscription without any demanding equipment requirements.
With YouTube TV, you’ll get 100+ live channels, unlimited DVR, and the ability to stream anywhere with a reliable internet connection. You can also add teams and specific matchups to your YouTube TV library to avoid missing out on the most crucial football matchups.
How to watch college bowl games FAQ
How can I watch college bowl games without cable?
You can still watch every college bowl game without cable through streaming services like Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV. Also, Sling TV is an inexpensive streaming option for watching the ESPN bowl games through its Sling Orange plan ($45.99/mo.).
What networks will carry the college football playoffs?
ESPN will carry nearly every College Football Playoff game—including the National Championship—but TNT Sports will carry two of the first-round playoff games on Saturday, December 21. The cheapest way to get ESPN and TNT is through Sling TV’s Sling Orange plan for $45.99/mo..
How can I watch bowl games without ESPN?
While 37 bowl games will air on ESPN and ESPN2, you can watch the others across ABC, CBS, and The CW. Most TV providers carry those local channels, but you can also access them with a simple digital antenna.
Are college bowl games on Hulu?
Yes, you can watch college bowl games on Hulu + Live TV. Its plans start at $76.99 a month and come with ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, FOX, and The CW. You’ll also get ESPN+ included at no extra cost, which hosts a lot of college sports content throughout the year.
Why you should trust us
Our football experts spent over eight hours researching and testing the best ways to watch college football bowl games. We matched TV providers head-to-head, comparing channel lineups and pricing options. Then, we determined our viewing recommendations, with sign-up convenience and ease of use playing a pivotal role.
Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.
Disclaimer
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
†Amazon.com price as of 9/19/23 10:45 a.m. CT. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. CableTV.com utilizes paid Amazon links.
Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.
