The bowl games step aside Saturday in favor of playoff matchups across four divisions of college football — including a national championship game.
Three first-round College Football Playoff games highlight the schedule, with Miami visiting Texas A&M to open the slate, followed by Tulane at Ole Miss and Oregon hosting James Madison.
While most of the eyeballs will be on those contests, the lower divisions are deeper into their brackets and one trophy will be handed out Saturday. The Division II final between defending champion Ferris State and 2023 winner Harding should be a fantastic matchup.
Elsewhere, the FCS semifinals feature the second Montana State vs. Montana showdown of the season, plus Villanova meets an Illinois State team on a Cinderella run.
Don't forget the D3 semis, which feature North Central facing John Carroll and Wisconsin-River Falls meeting Johns Hopkins.
Here's how to watch all the action Saturday.
College football games on TV today: Full schedule
Saturday, Dec. 20
| Game | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
|---|
| CFP First Round | Texas A&M vs. Miami | 12 p.m. | ABC, ESPN, ESPN app, Fubo |
| D3 Semifinal | UW-River Falls vs. Johns Hopkins | 1 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| CFP First Round | Ole Miss vs. Tulane | 3:30 p.m. | TNT, truTV, DIRECTV |
| FCS Semifinal | Montana State vs. Montana | 4 p.m. | ABC, ESPN app, Fubo |
| D2 Final | Ferris State vs. Harding | 4 p.m. | ESPN2, ESPN app, Fubo |
| D3 Semifinal | North Central vs. John Carroll | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| CFP First Round | Oregon vs. James Madison | 7:30 p.m. | TNT, truTV, DIRECTV |
| FCS Semifinal | Villanova vs. Illinois State | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2, ESPN app, Fubo |
Where to watch college football today
Saturday's college football action will be spread across multiple channels and streamers. The Texas A&M-Miami playoff game will be on ABC and ESPN, while the later Ole Miss-Tulane and Oregon-JMU matchups will air live on TNT and truTV.
ABC will also have the FCS semifinal between Montana State and Montana, while ESPN2 gets the other FCS semi, Villanova vs. Illinois State, and the D2 title game, Ferris State vs. Harding.
Fans can stream all ABC and ESPN network games live on Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers, or via the ESPN app.
Now you can watch ESPN without cable. Stream live NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, college sports, plus SportsCenter, First Take, and all your favorite ESPN shows—anytime, anywhere—only in the new ESPN app.
Every game airing on traditional television can also be streamed live via DIRECTV.
College football bowl schedule 2025-26
Saturday, Dec. 20
| Bowl | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
|---|
| CFP First Round | Texas A&M vs. Miami (Fla.) | Noon | ABC, Fubo, ESPN app |
| CFP First Round | Ole Miss vs. Tulane | 3:30 p.m. | TNT, DIRECTV |
| CFP First Round | Oregon vs. James Madison | 7:30 p.m. | TNT, DIRECTV |
Monday, Dec. 22
| Bowl | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
|---|
| Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Utah State vs. Washington State | 2 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
Tuesday, Dec. 23
| Bowl | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
|---|
| Boca Raton Bowl | Louisville vs. Toledo | 2 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
| New Orleans Bowl | Southern Miss vs. Western Kentucky | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
| Frisco Bowl | Ohio vs. UNLV | 9 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
Wednesday, Dec. 24
| Bowl | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
|---|
| Hawaii Bowl | California vs. Hawaii | 8 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
Friday, Dec. 26
| Bowl | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
|---|
| GameAbove Sports Bowl | Northwestern vs. Central Michigan | 1 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
| Rate Bowl | Minnesota vs. New Mexico | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
| First Responder Bowl | UTSA vs. Florida International | 8 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
Saturday, Dec. 27
| Bowl | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
|---|
| Military Bowl | East Carolina vs. Pitt | 11 a.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
| Pinstripe Bowl | Clemson vs. Penn State | Noon | ABC, Fubo, ESPN app |
| Fenway Bowl | Army vs. UConn | 2:15 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
| Pop-Tarts Bowl | BYU vs. Georgia Tech | 3:30 p.m. | ABC, Fubo, ESPN app |
| Arizona Bowl | Fresno State vs. Miami (Ohio) | 4:30 p.m. | The CW Network, Fubo |
| New Mexico Bowl | San Diego State vs. North Texas | 5:45 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
| Gator Bowl | Missouri vs. Virginia | 7:30 p.m. | ABC, Fubo, ESPN app |
| Texas Bowl | Houston vs. LSU | 9:15 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
Monday, Dec. 29
| Bowl | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
|---|
| Birmingham Bowl | Georgia Southern vs. App State | 2 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
Tuesday, Dec. 30
| Bowl | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
|---|
| Independence Bowl | Louisiana Tech vs. Coastal Carolina | 2 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
| Music City Bowl | Illinois vs. Tennessee | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
| Alamo Bowl | TCU vs. USC | 9 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
Wednesday, Dec. 31
| Bowl | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
|---|
| ReliaQuest Bowl | Vanderbilt vs. Iowa | Noon | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
| Sun Bowl | Duke vs. Arizona State | 2 p.m. | CBS, Fubo, Paramount+ |
| Citrus Bowl | Texas vs. Michigan | 3 p.m. | ABC, Fubo, ESPN app |
| Las Vegas Bowl | Utah vs. Nebraska | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
| CFP Quarterfinal (Cotton Bowl) | Ohio State vs. Texas A&M/Miami (Fla.) | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
Thursday, Jan. 1
| Bowl | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
|---|
| CFP Quarterfinal (Orange Bowl) | Texas Tech vs. Oregon/JMU | Noon | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
| CFP Quarterfinal (Rose Bowl) | Indiana vs. Oklahoma/Alabama | 4 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
| CFP Quarterfinal (Sugar Bowl) | Georgia vs. Ole Miss/Tulane | 8 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
Friday, Jan. 2
| Bowl | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
|---|
| Armed Forces Bowl | Texas State vs. Rice | 1 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
| Liberty Bowl | Cincinnati vs. Navy | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
| Duke's Mayo Bowl | Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest | 8 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
| Holiday Bowl | SMU vs. Arizona | 8 p.m. | Fox, Fubo |
Thursday, Jan. 8
| Bowl | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
|---|
| CFP Semifinal (Fiesta Bowl) | Cotton winner vs. Sugar winner | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
Friday, Jan. 9
| Bowl | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
|---|
| CFP Semifinal (Peach Bowl) | Rose winner vs. Orange winner | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
Monday, Jan. 19
| Bowl | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
|---|
| CFP National Championship | TBD vs. TBD | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
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