The countdown is on for the 2024 Big Ten Conference college football season, which begins on August 29 with a matchup between Rutgers and Howard.
It’s gearing up to be one of the most competitive seasons yet, with four new teams entering the Big Ten for the first time this year. With the addition of UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington, fans will be able to watch 18 of the best college football teams compete for the Big Ten championship title. One of the best places to catch the majority of these heated matchups is on Sling TV, where you’ll be able to watch every game airing on Fox and the Big Ten Network.
Another big change coming to the 2024 Big Ten Conference college football season is the broadcasting schedule. For the first time, three different networks will be splitting broadcast rights to the games. For sports fans, this can make finding the games you care about most this season complicated. Keep reading to find all the ways you can stream and the best options to bundle to watch every Big Ten college football game in 2024, without ever paying for cable.
When does the 2024 Big Ten Conference football season start?
The 2024 Big Ten Conference football season kicks off on August 29, 2024. At 6:00 p.m. on that day, college football fans will watch Howard face off against Rutgers in the opening matchup of the season.
What channel are the Big Ten college football games on?
This year, you can watch up to 32 of the Big Ten college football games on Fox or Fox Sports 1 while CBS and NBC will each air at least 14 games. That includes the championship matchup in December, which is airing exclusively on CBS in 2024. You’ll also be able to catch some of the games on the Big Ten Network.
To make things easier on fans, the three networks sharing broadcast rights to the games will be paired with specific time windows. Fox will air most of the noon games, while CBS airs mainly 3:30 p.m. games and NBC airs the primetime games in the evenings. So if you’re trying to figure out which channel to flip to for a game, remember: Fox at noon, CBS at 3:30 and NBC for primetime.
How to watch Big Ten college football in 2024 without cable:
Sling
The easiest way to catch just about every game of the 2024 Big Ten Conference football season is with a Sling TV subscription. This options gives you access to the most live games in one place.
You’ll need to opt for the Blue plan with the Sports Extra add-on, which. This package will give you access to all the games airing on Fox while the Sports Extra add-on will bundle the Big Ten Network into your plan. With that, you’ll be able to watch every game except those airing on NBC and CBS.
While you can upgrade to a Sling Blue + Orange plan to add NBC to your package, that still won’t give you access to the Peacock exclusive games this year. So it’s more cost-effective to stick with Blue and the Sports Extra add-on and then get a separate Peacock subscription for the NBC games. You’ll also need a Paramount+ subscription to catch the games airing on CBS.
Sling Blue regularly costs $40 per month, but if you sign up now you can get half off of your first month. The base plan gives you access to 42 channels, including Fox, FS1 and other premium networks like A&E and TNT. The Sports Extra add-on costs an additional $11 per month but gives you access to 13 must-have channels for sports fans like the Big Ten Network, NFL RedZone and more.
FuboTV
With the FuboTV Pro plan, the platform’s entry-level plan, you already get access to all the channels you’ll need to watch every Big Ten game of the season except for the nine Peacock exclusives. Fox, CBS, NBC and the Big Ten Network are all included in that base plan.
That’s just a handful of the 190+ channels you’ll get with FuboTV, making this one of the best all-in-one streaming services a sports fan could ask for. Prices start at $79.99 per month for FuboTV Pro, but higher tier plans are available that pack even more channels and premium streaming services into a single package.
If you’re not sure about the price, you can sign up today and get a seven-day free trial before committing to the monthly fee.
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV is another great deal for sports fans. This subscription gives you access to CBS, NBC, Fox, FS1 and the Big Ten Network, which means you can watch every game except the Peacock exclusives in one place this season.
Outside of the Big 10 Conference, Hulu + Live TV also includes full access to ESPN+, Disney+ and dozens of TV channels.
This plan will cost $76.99 per month, but you can try it free for three days if you sign up now.
Peacock
Peacock will be a must-have this year for college football fans as nine Big Ten games will be steaming exclusively on the platform. So, even if you’re able to stream the games on NBC through another service like Sling or FuboTV, you’ll still need Peacock to catch those nine exclusive games.
Big 10 coverage starts on Peacock with the Fresno State vs. Michigan game on August 31 at 7:30 p.m.
Peacock plans start at $7.99 per month (or $79.99 per year) and you’ll be able to access all of the platform’s Big 10 games with the cheapest plan available. The platform is also home to a growing buffet of live sports, including Sunday Night Football as well as golf, soccer, wrestling and more.
Paramount+
To watch the Big 10 games airing on CBS, including the championship game this December, the most affordable option is a Paramount+ subscription. To catch the live games, you’ll need to sign up for Paramount+ with Showtime. The bundle costs $12.99 per month but you can try it free for one week to make sure it’s the right option for you.
In addition to watching Big 10 college football, your membership will give you access to tons of other sports like the NFL, UEFA, NWSL and more. When you’re not watching a game, you can explore both Paramount and Showtime originals and movies, tune into your local live CBS station — and do it all ad-free.
ET, CBS and Paramount+ are subsidiaries of Paramount.
2024 Big Ten Conference football schedule for Week 1 and 2
Check out the full Week 1 and Week 2 schedule for the 2024 Big Ten Conference football season below (including where you can watch each game).
All times in Eastern.
Thursday, August 29
Howard Bison vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights at 6:00 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers at 8:00 p.m. (Fox)
Eastern Illinois Panthers vs. Illinois Fighting Illini at 9:00 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
Friday, August 30
Florida Atlantic Owls vs. Michigan State Spartans at 7:00 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
Western Michigan Broncos vs. Wisconsin Badgers at 9:00 p.m. (Fox Sports 1)
Saturday, August 31
Penn State Nittany Lions vs. West Virginia Mountaineers at 12:00 p.m. (Fox)
UConn Huskies vs. Maryland Terrapins at 12:00 p.m. (Fox Sports 1)
Indiana State Sycamores vs. Purdue Boilermakers at 12:00 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
Illinois State Redbirds vs. Iowa Hawkeyes at 12:00 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
UTEP Miners vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers at 3:30 p.m. (Fox)
Akron Zips vs. Ohio State Buckeyes at 3:30 p.m. (CBS)
FIU Panthers vs. Indiana Hoosiers at 3:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
Miami Redhawks vs. Northwestern Wildcats at 3:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
Fresno State Bulldogs vs. Michigan Wolverines at 7:30 p.m. (NBC)
Idaho Vandals vs. Oregon Ducks at 7:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
UCLA Bruins vs. Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at 7:30 p.m. (CBS)
Weber State Wildcats vs. Washington Huskies at 11:00 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
Sunday, September 1
LSU Tigers vs. USC Trojans at 7:30 p.m. (ABC)
Friday, September 6
Western Illinois Leathernecks vs. Indiana Hoosiers at 7:00 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
Duke Blue Devils vs. Northwestern Wildcats at 9:00 p.m. (Fox Sports 1)
Saturday, September 7
Texas Longhorns vs. Michigan Wolverines at 12:00 p.m. (Fox)
Rhode Island Rams vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers at 12:00 p.m. (Peacock)
Bowling Green Falcons vs. Penn State Nittany Lions at 12:00 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
Akron Zips vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights at 12:00 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
Iowa State Cyclones vs. Iowa Hawkeyes at 3:30 p.m. (CBS)
South Dakota Coyotes vs. Wisconsin Badgers at 3:30 p.m. (Fox Sports 1)
Michigan State Spartans vs. Maryland Terrapins at 3:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
Eastern Michigan Eagles vs. Washington Huskies at 3:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
Kansas Jayhawks vs. Illinois Fighting Illini at 7:00 p.m. (Fox Sports 1)
Colorado Buffaloes vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers at 7:30 p.m. (NBC)
Western Michigan Broncos vs. Ohio State Buckeyes at 7:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
Boise State Broncos vs. Oregon Ducks at 10:00 p.m. (Peacock)
Utah State Aggies vs. USC Trojans at 11:00 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
