Capping off the latest college football campaign is the 2025–2026 bowl season, where more than 40 college bowl games will occur. It all begins on December 13 with the Celebration Bowl before wrapping up on January 19 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.
What channels are the college bowls on?
Keeping track of 41 bowl games this season sounds tough. Luckily, you’ll only need about a handful of channels to watch every matchup available on TV.
Most games will be available on ESPN, with select matchups airing on ABC, CBS, FOX, and The CW. Keep scrolling for the full bowl game schedule, featuring a comprehensive channel list.
College football bowl game TV schedule
Below is a complete list of all 41 college football bowl games, including the 11 College Football Playoff matchups. I compiled this table to make it easier for you to plan how to watch every game live, leading up to the National Championship on January 19.
| Bowl | Teams | Date | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celebration Bowl | South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M | Saturday, Dec. 13 | Noon | ABC |
| LA Bowl | Boise State Broncos vs. Washington | Saturday, Dec. 13 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Salute to Veterans Bowl | Troy vs. Jacksonville State | Tuesday, Dec. 16 | 9:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Cure Bowl | Old Dominion vs. South Florida | Wednesday, Dec. 17 | 5:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| 68 Ventures Bowl | Louisiana vs. Delaware | Wednesday, Dec. 17 | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Xbox Bowl | Arkansas State vs. Missouri State | Thursday, Dec. 15 | 9:00 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Myrtle Beach Bowl | Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan | Friday, Dec. 19 | 11:00 a.m. | ESPN |
| Gasparilla Bowl | Memphis vs. NC State | Friday, Dec. 19 | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| College Football Playoff first round | Various | Dec. 19–20 | Various | ABC/ESPN, TNT/truTV |
| Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Washington State vs. Utah State | Monday, Dec. 22 | 2:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Boca Raton Bowl | Louisville vs. Toledo | Tuesday, Dec. 23 | 2:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| New Orleans Bowl | Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss | Tuesday, Dec. 23 | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Frisco Bowl | UNLV Rebels vs. Ohio | Tuesday, Dec. 23 | 9:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Hawaii Bowl | Cal vs. Hawai'i | Wednesday, Dec. 24 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| GameAbove Sports Bowl | Central Michigan vs. Northwestern | Friday, Dec. 26 | 1:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Rate Bowl | New Mexico vs. Minnesota | Friday, Dec. 26 | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| First Responder Bowl | FIU vs. UTSA | Friday, Dec. 26 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Military Bowl | Pitt vs. East Carolina | Saturday, Dec. 27 | 11:00 a.m. | ESPN |
| Pinstripe Bowl | Clemson vs. Penn State | Saturday, Dec. 27 | Noon | ABC |
| Fenway Bowl | UConn vs. Army Black Knights | Saturday, Dec. 27 | 2:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| Pop-Tarts Bowl | No. 12 BYU Cougars vs. No. 22 Georgia Tech | Saturday, Dec. 27 | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Arizona Bowl | Miami (OH) vs. Fresno State | Saturday, Dec. 27 | 4:30 p.m. | The CW |
| New Mexico Bowl | UNT vs. San Diego State | Saturday, Dec. 27 | 5:45 p.m. | ESPN |
| Gator Bowl | Missouri vs. No. 19 Virginia | Saturday, Dec. 27 | 7:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Texas Bowl | LSU vs. Houston | Saturday, Dec. 27 | 9:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| Birmingham Bowl | Georgia Southern vs. App State | Monday, Dec. 29 | 2:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Independence Bowl | Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana | Tuesday, Dec. 30 | 2:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Music City Bowl | Tennessee vs. Illinois | Tuesday, Dec. 30 | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Alamo Bowl | No. 16 USC Trojans vs. TCU | Tuesday, Dec. 30 | 9:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| ReliaQuest Bowl | No. 23 Iowa vs. No. 14 Vanderbilt | Wednesday, Dec. 31 | Noon | ESPN |
| Sun Bowl | Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Duke | Wednesday, Dec. 31 | 2:00 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ Premium |
| Citrus Bowl | No. 13 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 18 Michigan Wolverines | Wednesday, Dec. 31 | 3:00 p.m. | ABC |
| Las Vegas Bowl | Nebraska vs. No. 15 Utah Utes | Wednesday, Dec. 31 | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Cotton Bowl Classic (College Football Playoff quarterfinal) | No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. TBD | Wednesday, Dec. 31 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Orange Bowl (College Football Playoff quarterfinal) | No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. TBD | Thursday, Jan. 1 | Noon | ESPN |
| Rose Bowl Game (College Football Playoff quarterfinal) | No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers vs. TBD | Thursday, Jan. 1 | 4:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sugar Bowl (College Football Playoff quarterfinal) | No. 3 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors vs. TBD | Thursday, Jan. 1 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Armed Forces Bowl | Texas State vs. Rice | Friday, Jan. 2 | 1:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Liberty Bowl | Navy vs. Cincinnati | Friday, Jan. 2 | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Duke's Mayo Bowl | Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest | Friday, Jan. 2 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Holiday Bowl | Arizona vs. SMU | Friday, Jan. 2 | 8:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Fiesta Bowl (College Football Playoff semifinal) | TBD | Thursday, Jan. 8 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Peach Bowl (College Football Playoff semifinal) | TBD | Friday, Jan. 9 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| College Football Playoff National Championship Game | TBD | Monday, Jan. 19 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Data effective as of post date.
Best TV plans for watching college bowl games
A great all-in-one solution for college bowl season and beyond is YouTube TV. Here’s why I think it’s the only service you need.
YouTube TV ($82.99/mo.)
Usually, I’d 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. It’s slightly cheaper than Fubo, and comes with the primary college bowl channels, unlimited DVR storage, no bulky equipment requirements, and a slick interface that’s easy to navigate.
What’s more, YouTube TV offers ESPN Unlimited at no extra cost. All you need to do is log in to the ESPN app with your credentials, and you’ll have every single ESPN-owned channel in one place.
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 10, 2026.
How to watch college bowl games for free
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 fantastic 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.
For the games not airing on broadcast channels, I recommend a five-day free trial to Stream with DIRECTV. It’ll get you access to all the ESPN channels where bowl games will air. You can also try ESPN Unlimited for those same five days.
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, ESPN Unlimited is a less expensive streaming option for watching the ESPN and ABC bowl games.
What networks will carry the college football playoffs?
ESPN will carry nearly every College Football Playoff game—including the National Championship.
How can I watch bowl games without ESPN?
While the vast majority of bowl games will air on ESPN, you can watch the others across ABC, CBS, The CW, and FOX. 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 $88.99–$99.99/mo. and come with ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, FOX, and The CW. You’ll also get ESPN Unlimited included at no extra cost, which features every ESPN-owned channel and includes all content from ESPN+.
Why you should trust us
Our CableTV.com sports editor, Taylor Kujawa, spent more than eight hours researching and testing the best ways to watch college football bowl games. He matched TV providers head-to-head, comparing channel lineups and pricing options. Then, he determined his 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.
