The end of the year is college football’s moment to shine. As the fight to appear in the college national championship game hits the final round, the sport’s other teams are also celebrated for their achievements, facing off one last time at the Rose Bowl, the Sugar Bowl or any of the dozens of other bowl games.
Rooting for your favorite can be challenging, since the schedule is so chaotic and, lately, stretched out over several days. The first bowl games were actually held on Dec. 16.
The further along we get in the calendar, though, the bigger the games. (And this year is further complicated by the NFL playing on Jan. 1, putting all bowl games on hold for a day). If you want to watch college football, though, here’s who’s playing in which bowl games in 2022 and early 2023—and some options to watch them if your current TV setup doesn’t allow for it.
What is the 2022-2023 college bowl schedule?
Not long ago, all of the college bowl games took place over a few days. Today, it’s a much longer process. Games began on Dec. 16 and, so far, 26 have already taken place.
The big games kick off on Dec. 29, though. Here’s which teams are playing where this year. (The home team is listed first.)
Thursday, Dec. 29
Pinstripe Bowl – Minnesota vs. Syracuse, 2:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
Cheez-It Bowl – Florida State (13) vs. Oklahoma, 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Alamo Bowl – Washington (12) vs. Texas (20), 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
Friday, Dec. 30
Duke’s Mayo Bowl – NC State (23) vs. Maryland, 12:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
Sun Bowl – UCLA (18) vs. Pittsburgh, 2:00 p.m. ET on CBS
Gator Bowl – South Carolina (19) vs. Notre Dame (21), 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
Arizona Bowl – Ohio vs. Wyoming, 4:30 p.m. on Barstool Sports
Orange Bowl – Tennessee (6) vs. Clemson (7), 8:00 p.m. ET on
Saturday, Dec. 31
Sugar Bowl – Alabama (5) vs. Kansas State (9), 12:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
Music City Bowl – Iowa vs. Kentucky, 12:00 p.m. ET on ABC
Fiesta Bowl – Michigan (2) vs. TCU (3), 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
Peach Bowl – Georgia (1) vs. Ohio State (4), 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
Monday, Jan. 2
ReliaQuest Bowl – Mississippi State (22) vs. Illinois, 12:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
Citrus Bowl – LSU (17) vs. Purdue, 1:00 p.m. ET on ABC
Cotton Bowl – USC (10) vs. Tulane (16), 1:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
Rose Bowl – Utah (8) vs. Penn State (11), 5:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
Monday, Jan. 9
College Football Playoff National Championship – TBD vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
How can I watch college bowl games for free?
Honestly? It won’t be easy if you don’t have cable. Most games are now broadcast on ESPN, which is only available with a cable subscription. To catch the few that are broadcast by networks, though, the best way to watch on a big screen is with a good HD antenna. Local and regional games are broadcast by ABC and CBS, meaning you’ve got a good chance of tuning into some games over the air, which costs nothing beyond the price of equipment.
Be sure to test the antenna in multiple locations in your home to find the most reliable signal.
Can I watch college bowl games online?
There are several online options to watch bowl games. If you’re not near a TV, you can log into ESPN.com or the ESPN app in many cases, but will need a cable login. Prefer another option? Here are a few that will work.
Paramount+
CBS’s streaming service gives you access to games aired on that network. You can get a one-week free trial, followed by a $5 or $10 monthly charge. Note that only the Sun Bowl will be available on this service.
Disney+
Disney’s bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ no longer has a free trial, so you’ll have to pay $13.99 per month for all three combined (or $19.99 per month for no ads on Hulu). Including Live TV in the bundle bumps the price to $70 per month ($76 with no ads).
Hulu with Live TV
The free trial on this service is no longer offered. Access will cost you $70 per month.
YouTubeTV
After up to a two-week trial, monthly charges are $65.
Sling TV
Dish Network’s Sling recently increased its prices. The lower-tiered “Orange” plan is now $40 per month. Adding the more comprehensive “Blue” plan bumps the cost to $55 per month. (A $5 per month increase for each.) The seven-day free trial has disappeared, but the cord-cutting service is offering 50% off of the first month’s bill.
DirecTV Stream
Formerly known as DirecTV Now, AT&T TVNow and AT&T TV, this oft-renamed streaming service costs $70 per month and up after the free trial option.
Fubo TV
This sports-focused cord-cutting service carries broadcast networks in most markets. There’s a seven-day free trial, followed by monthly charges of $70 to $100, depending on the channels you choose.
Can I watch college bowl games on Amazon Prime Video?
Nope. No college bowl games are scheduled to stream on Amazon this year.
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