The first Friday night slate of the new college football season brings plenty of storylines.
Twelfth-ranked Illinois is saddled with the second highest preseason ranking in program history following a 10-win campaign last season. Quarterback Luke Altmyer leads the Illini into an in-state matchup in the season opener against Western Illinois.
Deion Sanders and Colorado waltz into a new era with Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter both in the NFL. Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter will be the Buffaloes' starting quarterback for the opener against Georgia Tech, though touted freshman Julian Lewis should see the field, too.
Auburn hasn't had a winning season since 2020, but perhaps that changes this year. Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold will start under center for the Tigers in a pivotal Week 1 clash against Baylor.
The Sporting News has everything that you need to know about watching college football on Friday night.
College football schedule today
| Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
|---|---|---|
| Army vs. Tarleton State | 6 p.m. | CBS Sports Network, Fubo |
| Michigan State vs. Western Michigan | 7 p.m. | FS1, Fubo |
| Wake Forest vs. Kennesaw State | 7 p.m. | ACC Network, Fubo |
| Charlotte vs. App State | 7 p.m. | ESPNU, Fubo |
| Florida International vs. Bethune-Cookman | 7 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| No. 12 Illinois vs. Western Illinois | 7:30 p.m. | Peacock |
| Kansas vs. Wagner | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Baylor vs. Auburn | 8 p.m. | Fox, Fubo |
| Colorado vs. Georgia Tech | 8 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| Sam Houston State vs. UNLV | 9:30 p.m. | CBS Sports Network, Fubo |
| San Jose State vs. Central Michigan | 10:30 p.m. | FS1 |
How to watch college football today: TV channel, live stream
- TV channel: ESPN | ESPNU | ACC Network | Fox | FS1 | CBS Sports Network
- Live stream: Fubo | Peacock | ESPN+
College football games will air on six different television networks on Friday night, including ESPN and Fox.
Viewers can stream all of those games live with Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and 100+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
Illinois vs. Western Illinois will be available to stream exclusively on Peacock, while Kansas vs. Wagner is one of two games set to stream exclusively on ESPN+.
College football Week 1 radio station
- Radio channel: SiriusXM
Listen to college football games on Friday night and throughout the entire season live on SiriusXM. Team-specific channels for each game can be found here, on the SiriusXM website.
New subscribers can enjoy SiriusXM for free for four months. Listen to live NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL games, plus NASCAR, college sports and more. Stay updated with all the news and get all the analysis on multiple sport-specific channels.