The NCAA football season is already proving to be eventful amidst all conferences taking on a new look, including the expansion of the Big Ten. There have been blowouts, record-setting games, early injuries to critical players, and transparent team issues. Hopefully your team isn’t one of the latter, but regardless, you need to know how to watch your alma mater.
Scroll down to find out which channels you’ll need this 2024 season. Our guide will cover how to catch your specific NCAA team, where to watch this week’s games, and how to watch Big Ten football for free.
What channels show Big Ten Conference football games?
Big Ten broadcasting rights belong to Big Ten Network, CBS Sports, FOX Sports, and NBC Sports. So, you can watch most games on Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, FOX, FS1, and NBC. However, non-conference matchups may appear on channels like ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, The CW ACC Network, and SEC Network.
What schools are in the Big Ten football conference?
The Big Ten football conference grew to 18 teams with the 2024 additions of USC, UCLA, Washington, and Oregon. Now, the longest haul for players (and fans)? A seven-hour trek from Oregon to Rutgers in New Jersey. Sheesh. But let’s not feel too bad—they asked for this cross-country opportunity.
Below is a list of all current Big Ten college football teams.
- Illinois Fighting Illini
- Indiana Hoosiers
- Iowa Hawkeyes
- Maryland Terrapins
- Michigan Wolverines
- Michigan State Spartans
- Minnesota Golden Gophers
- Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Northwestern Wildcats
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Oregon Ducks
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- Purdue Boilermakers
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- UCLA Bruins
- USC Trojans
- Washington Huskies
- Wisconsin Badgers
2024 Big Ten Conference football schedule
The 2024 NCAA football season makes history as the Big Ten expands to an impressive 18 teams. If you’ve been a longtime Michigan or Ohio State fan, you’ve already seen your conference evolve over the years. Now, brace yourself for even more football action to track. Oh, the struggle (but not really).
| Game | Day | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 4 | |||
| Illinois at Nebraska | Friday, Sept. 20 | 8:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Villanova at Maryland | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 12:00 p.m. | Big Ten Network (BTN) |
| Marshall at Ohio State | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 12:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Charlotte at Indiana | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 12:00 p.m. | BTN |
| USC at Michigan | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 3:30 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ |
| Rutgers at Virginia Tech | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network |
| Kent State at Penn State | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 3:30 p.m. | BTN |
| UCLA at LSU | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Northwestern at Washington | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 7:00 p.m. | FS1 |
| Iowa at Minnesota | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 7:30 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Michigan State at Boston College | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 8:00 p.m. | ACC Network |
| Purdue at Oregon State | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 8:30 p.m. | The CW |
Data effective as of post date.
Best Big Ten football TV plans
Which TV providers have all the channels you need to catch every Big Ten matchup? You’ll want one of the services below to cop all necessary networks for the 2024 season.
- Best provider for Big 10 fans: Hulu + Live TV is our top pick for watching Big Ten football games and matchups outside the conference. It has all the football channels and comes with ESPN+ (and Disney+) at no extra cost.
- Best value: YouTube TV is a college football fan’s No. 1 pick if you’re also a diehard NFL fan and need the NFL RedZone Channel or NFL Sunday Ticket. (I personally have Fubo for NFL RedZone and all the sports channels the Elite plan includes.)
- Best traditional TV option: Xfinity has one of the best values among cable and satellite TV providers. Big Ten watchers are in luck because this cable service has all the necessary channels.
| Provider | Type | Price | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Cox Read Cox review |
Cable | $61.00–$152.00/mo. | 75–250+ |
|
DIRECTV Read DIRECTV review |
Satellite | $69.99–$159.99/mo. | 75–150+ |
|
DIRECTV STREAM Read DIRECTV STREAM review |
Streaming | $69.99–$149.99/mo. | 75–150+ |
|
DISH Read DISH review |
Satellite | $97.99–$147.99/mo. | 190–290+ |
|
Fubo Read Fubo review |
Streaming | $32.99–$99.99/mo. | 65–260+ |
|
Hulu + Live TV Read Hulu + Live TV review |
Streaming | $76.99–$89.99/mo. | 95+ |
|
Optimum Read Optimum review |
Cable | $35.00–$125.00/mo. | 50–420+ |
|
Sling TV Read Sling TV review |
Streaming | $40.00–$55.00/mo. | 30–45+ |
|
Spectrum Read Spectrum review |
Cable | $39.99–$74.99/mo. | 150–160+ |
|
Verizon Fios Read Verizon Fios review |
Cable | $85.00–$129.00/mo. | 60–425+ |
|
Xfinity Read Xfinity review |
Cable | $20.00–$80.00/mo. | 10–185+ |
|
YouTube TV Read YouTube TV review |
Streaming | $72.99/mo. | 100+ |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
How can I watch Big Ten Conference football for free?
You can watch Big Ten college football games for free by signing up for a free trial with Fubo. If you’ve already used your one-time free ticket, you can watch games aired on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC for free using an OTA antenna.
How to watch Big Ten Conference football FAQ
Where can I watch the Big Ten conference?
You can watch Big Ten matchups on Big Ten Network, CBS Sports, FOX Sports, and NBC Sports networks. Non-conference games could air on ESPN, CW Sports, and college conference channels.
Is the Big Ten Network on any streaming service?
You can watch the Big Ten Network on Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo, and DIRECTV STREAM.
Is BTN on Peacock?
Big Ten Network isn’t available on Peacock, but you can stream all NCAA football games aired on NBC with Peacock.
Who carries Big Ten football?
Big Ten broadcasting rights belong to Big Ten Network, CBS Sports, FOX Sports, and NBC Sports. So, you can get all the channels needed to watch the Big Ten with Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo, DIRECTV STREAM, Xfinity, DISH, and DIRECTV.
Why you should trust us
After researching the Big Ten’s media rights agreements and other channels airing 2024 college games, our sports experts examined this season’s college football schedule and compiled a comprehensive channel list. We then compared over 13 popular TV services to see which providers show the most Big Ten games. Using that information, we determined our viewing recommendations based on channel availability, pricing, features, and ease of use.
Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.
