If you want to know where to watch college football in 2026, the short answer is that it depends on the conference. ESPN and ABC carry the SEC, ACC and most Group of Five games, Fox, CBS and NBC split the Big Ten, the Big 12 is shared by ESPN, Fox and TNT, and the rebuilt Pac-12 lives on CBS, USA Network and The CW. Below is a full map of every conference’s TV home, so you can work out which channels your team actually needs.
If your main goal is the lowest monthly bill, read our companion guide on the cheapest way to watch college football after you have identified your conference’s networks here.
The big picture: who owns college football on TV in 2026
Five media groups carry almost every FBS game this season. Knowing their streaming apps saves a lot of guesswork:
- ESPN and ABC: more than 1,000 games across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network and the ESPN app. ABC also has the ACC, American, Big 12 and SEC championship games.
- Fox Sports: about 137 games on FOX, FS1 and Big Ten Network, including Big Noon Saturday. These stream on the Fox One app.
- CBS Sports: a 3:30 p.m. ET Big Ten window, Pac-12 games, and Army-Navy. CBS streams on Paramount+.
- NBC and Peacock: Big Ten Saturday Night and Notre Dame home games.
- The CW and USA Network: The CW has ACC, Mountain West and Pac-12 games, while USA Network is a new Pac-12 partner.
Where every conference airs: the full table
This table lists each conference’s main TV partners for the 2026 regular season. Teams also appear on other networks for road non-conference games, because the home team’s deal usually decides the channel.
| Conference | Main TV partners | Main streaming apps |
|---|---|---|
| SEC | ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network | ESPN app (ESPN Unlimited) |
| Big Ten | FOX, CBS, NBC, FS1, Big Ten Network, Peacock | Fox One, Paramount+, Peacock |
| ACC | ABC, ESPN, ACC Network, ACC Network Extra, The CW | ESPN app (ESPN Unlimited) |
| Big 12 | ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, TNT | ESPN app, Fox One, HBO Max |
| Pac-12 | USA Network, The CW, CBS, CBS Sports Network | Paramount+ for CBS games |
| Mountain West | CBS Sports Network, FS1, The CW, plus some CBS and FOX games | Fox One, MW+ |
| American (AAC) | ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, CBS Sports Network | ESPN app |
| Sun Belt | ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+ | ESPN app |
| MAC | ESPN networks, CBS Sports Network | ESPN app |
| Conference USA | ESPN networks, CBS Sports Network | ESPN app |
| Notre Dame | NBC and Peacock for home games | Peacock |
Channel assignments for later weeks are often set 6 to 12 days ahead, so always confirm the specific game.
Power conferences in more detail
SEC
The SEC is now entirely inside the Disney family. The biggest games land on ABC (free over the air) and ESPN, while SEC Network carries a steady slate of conference matchups. If you can get ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and SEC Network, you will see virtually every SEC game.
Big Ten
The Big Ten has the most complicated setup. FOX has the noon Big Noon Saturday window, CBS has a 3:30 p.m. ET game most weeks, and NBC runs Big Ten Saturday Night at 7:30 p.m. ET. FS1, Big Ten Network and Peacock exclusives fill in the rest. A Big Ten fan realistically needs FOX, CBS, NBC, FS1, BTN and Peacock to avoid missing games. Michigan at Ohio State is set for Nov. 28 at noon ET on FOX.
ACC
The ACC airs on ABC, ESPN and ACC Network, with extra games on ACC Network Extra in the ESPN app. The CW also carries ACC games this season, and those CW games are available in the ESPN app for ESPN Unlimited subscribers.
Big 12
The Big 12 splits its games between ESPN networks (including ESPN+), FOX and FS1, with TNT added as a partner. TNT games stream on HBO Max. That makes the Big 12 a three-company conference, so check each week’s listing.
The Pac-12, Group of Five and independents
The new eight-team Pac-12 (Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Oregon State, San Diego State, Texas State, Utah State and Washington State) begins play with a fresh set of deals. According to the conference’s schedule release, USA Network has the largest share of its Weeks 1 to 12 games, followed by CBS Sports Network, The CW and a handful of CBS games. The Pac-12 Championship Game is set for Friday, Dec. 4 on CBS and Paramount+.
The Mountain West mixes CBS Sports Network, FS1 and The CW, and some games stream on the conference’s own MW+ service. The American, Sun Belt, MAC and Conference USA are mostly ESPN properties, with CBS Sports Network picking up some American, MAC and C-USA games. Many Sun Belt and MAC games are streaming-only on ESPN+, which now sits inside the ESPN app.
Notre Dame keeps its NBC home schedule, with some games on Peacock.
Which services cover the most conferences?
Once you know your conference, match it to a service. Prices below are the advertised U.S. monthly rates at the time of writing and can vary by location or promotion.
| Option | What it covers | Price (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN Unlimited | All ESPN networks, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN+ games, plus CW games in the app | $31.99/month |
| Fox One | FOX, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network | $19.99/month |
| Paramount+ Essential | CBS games (not CBS Sports Network) | $8.99/month |
| Peacock Premium | NBC games and Peacock exclusives | $12.99/month |
| HBO Max (Basic with ads) | TNT Big 12 games | $10.99/month |
| YouTube TV | Most of the above channels in one package, local ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC | $82.99/month |
| HD antenna | ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and The CW locally | One-time cost |
A full live TV service such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream or Fubo is the simplest way to cover several conferences at once, but channel lineups differ, so check for SEC Network, ACC Network, BTN and CBS Sports Network before signing up. An antenna is still worth having for the many big games on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and The CW. See our best TV antennas for local channels.
Some fans also look at IPTV subscriptions for wide sports coverage. IPTV as a technology is legal, while services that rebroadcast channels without rights are not.
Bowls and the College Football Playoff
The postseason follows different rules from the regular season. ESPN and ABC are the main home of the College Football Playoff, and most bowl games also air on ESPN networks, with a few on other networks. Check the official CFP schedule in December, because some games may be sublicensed to partners. Conference title games mostly air in early December on ABC, FOX and CBS.
How to build your setup for your team
- Find your team’s conference in the table above and list every network it uses.
- Check your team’s schedule page for this season’s announced channels.
- Cover local broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The CW) with an antenna or a live TV service.
- Add only the streaming apps your conference needs, such as ESPN Unlimited for SEC or ACC fans or Fox One plus Peacock for Big Ten fans.
- Make sure your device supports every app. Our guide to the best streaming devices covers Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and Google TV.
FAQ
What channel is college football on today?
It depends on the game. Saturday slates are spread across ABC, ESPN, FOX, CBS, NBC, The CW, FS1, USA Network, conference networks and streaming services like Peacock and HBO Max. Check your team’s official schedule or a network listing a few days before kickoff.
Can I watch every SEC game with one subscription?
Mostly, yes. Every SEC game sits with ESPN and ABC, so ESPN Unlimited or a live TV service that includes ESPN networks and SEC Network covers the conference. ABC games can also be watched free with an antenna.
Why is the Big Ten so hard to follow?
The Big Ten has contracts with FOX, CBS and NBC, plus FS1, Big Ten Network and Peacock. Each network has its own Saturday window, so a fan who wants every game needs access to all of them. A live TV service with BTN plus a Peacock subscription is the most common solution.
Where can I watch the Pac-12 in 2026?
The new Pac-12 airs mostly on USA Network, CBS Sports Network and The CW, with a few games on CBS and Paramount+. The Pac-12 Championship Game is scheduled for Dec. 4 on CBS.
Is ESPN+ still a separate app?
ESPN+ games now stream inside the main ESPN app. ESPN Unlimited includes them along with the ESPN TV channels, and current prices are listed on ESPN’s site. Our guide to the cheapest way to watch ESPN compares the options.
Part of our guides: USA streaming guide · NFL streaming guide
