- The Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl serve as the semifinal bowl games for the 2024-2025 NCAA football season. The winners will meet on Jan. 20 in the CFP National Championship.
The December and early January bowl games certainly had their share of surprises, as college football’s top-rated teams fell short.
Many were expecting the CFP National Championship game be Oregon and the University of Georgia fighting for the top spot. But both were knocked out in convincing fashion in their respective bowl games, leaving the playoff and finals picture up for grabs.
This year marks the start of a new, expanded playoff format, meaning the college football championship series will run through the third week of January (by which time, the NFL will already be finished with the divisional round of the playoffs).
Here’s a look at who’s playing in the semifinals—and some options to watch them if your current TV setup proves insufficient.
What is the schedule for the 2024-2025 College Football semifinal games?
Here’s who’s playing in the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl.
Thursday, Jan. 9
Orange Bowl – Notre Dame vs. Penn State, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Friday, Jan. 10
Cotton Bowl – Ohio State vs. University of Texas, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
How can I watch the 2024-2025 College Football semifinal games for free?
Ok, here’s the bad news. Neither of the semi-final games will be broadcast over the air, meaning you’ll need either a cable subscription or a streaming service to watch. Many streaming services have done away with free trials, but a few remain. See below for details.
Can I watch the 2024-2025 College Football semifinal games online?
Absolutely. The easiest way, if you have a cable login, is to head to ESPN.com or the ESPN app in many cases. Don’t have cable? Here are a few other options.
Disney+
Disney’s bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ no longer has a free trial, so you’ll have to pay $17 per month for all three combined (or $30 per month for no ads on Hulu).
Including Live TV in the bundle bumps the price to $77 per month ($90 with no ads).
Hulu with Live TV
The free trial on this service lasts three days. Afterward, it will cost you $77 per month.
ESPN+
There’s no free trial, but a subscription for the sports streaming service will run you $10.99 per month.
YouTubeTV
After a free trial, you can expect monthly charges of $73.
Sling TV
Dish Network’s Sling lower-tiered “Orange” plan will run you $40 per month. Adding the more comprehensive “Blue” plan bumps the cost to $55 per month. The seven-day free trial has disappeared, unfortunately.
DirecTV Stream
Formerly known as DirecTV Now, AT&T TVNow and AT&T TV, this oft-renamed streaming service will run you $80 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 $80 and up, depending on the channels you choose.
Can I watch the 2024-2025 College Football semifinal games on Amazon Prime Video?
No. College bowl games do not stream on Amazon.
