Jonathan Zavaleta
Contact Jonathan Zavaleta by Email View all posts by Jonathan Zavaleta August 28, 2026
The North Carolina Tar Heels, seen here in Oct. 2025, will kick off the college football season with a game against TCU in Dublin, Ireland (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
The college football season kicks off on Saturday with a busy lineup of games, starting with the Tar Heels facing the Horned Frogs. It marks Bill Belichick’s second season coaching North Carolina, after a rocky first season on the field and headlines about his life off the field.
At a Glance: How to Watch College Football
The game will take place in Dublin, continuing a long tradition of college football games played in Ireland. Saturday’s games also include San Jose State at USC and the Memphis Tigers at University of Las Vegas.
How to Watch the College Football Season
The college football season is spread across a variety of networks, including cable networks like ESPN, FS1, and TNT, local channels like ABC and NBC, plus college football-specific channels like SEC Network and ACC Network.
If you’re looking to stream college football games without cable, options include a live-TV streaming service like DirecTV, Fubo, or Sling. These are some options, including picks with free trials to stream the college football season this year.
DirecTV
get free trial➤ Five-day free trial ➤ $64.99+/month
DirecTV has one of the most comprehensive streaming packages, and the live-TV streaming service includes channels like ESPN, FS1, NBC, TNT, and others in its Entertianment package, plus channels like SEC Network in Choice plans and above. DirecTV offers a five-day free trial across its plans.
Fubo
get free trial➤ One-day free trial ➤ $64.99+/month (First month)
Fubo carries a wide range of sports channels in its packages, including ESPN, FS1, and ESPNU, CBS Sports Network, and SEC Network. The streaming service’s free trial length frequently varies, and is currently available for one day. The streamlined Sports + News carries 31 channels, including many needed to stream college football, although the Core plan is more comprehensive.
Sling
sign up now➤ Affordable plans, including short-term passes ➤ $19.99+/month
While Sling does not offer a free trial, it has more affordable streaming packages compared to rivals like DirecTV and Fubo. Sling Orange + Blue includes ESPN and FS1. Local channel availability varies by zip code.
2026 College Football Schedule
The college football season kicks off on Aug. 29 and runs for 15 weeks, with the CFP Championship set for Jan. 25, 2027.
