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How to watch the Illinois vs. Nebraska NCAA college football game tonight: Livestream options, more

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Kai Wallin #93 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers celebrates a defensive stop against the Northern Iowa Panthers during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium on September 14, 2024 in Lincoln, Nebraska.  Steven Branscombe/Getty Images

The Illinois vs. Nebraska game will be played tonight. The Fighting Illini are 3-0 coming into this week, following a 30-9 victory over Central Michigan last week. The Nebraska Cornhuskers are also 3-0, after a 34-3 victory over Northern Iowa in Week 3.

Keep reading to find out how and when to watch the Illinois vs. Nebraska game, even if you don't have cable.


How and when to watch the Illinois vs. Nebraska college football game tonight

The Illinois vs. Nebraska game will be played on Friday, September 20, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, NE. The NCAA college football game will air on Fox, and stream on Fubo, Sling and the platforms featured below.


How and when to watch the Illinois vs. Nebraska NCAA football game without cable

While many cable packages include Fox, it's easy to watch the game if Fox isn't included in your cable TV subscription, or if you don't have cable at all. Your best options for watching are below. (Streaming options will require an internet provider.)

Watch the Illinois vs. Nebraska game free with Fubo

Live TV streaming service Fubo offers the same top-tier programming you can get from your local cable provider at a fraction of the price. The streamer is a sports fan's dream considering the sheer volume of live sporting events you can watch on it.

Fubo offers a seven-day free trial and $30 off your first month of service, so there's never been a better time this year to sign up. You can watch all this week's best college football games and watch the best NFL games for free.

Fubo packages include access to NFL games airing on your local CBS affiliate, Fox Sunday NFC games via "NFL on Fox," "Sunday Night Football" on NBC, "Monday Night Football" on ABC and ESPN, and all games aired on NFL Network. There are plenty of channels for NCAA college football fans too, including SEC Network, Big Ten Network and ESPNU.

Top features of Fubo:

  • There are no contracts with Fubo. You can cancel at any time.
  • The Pro ($49.99 first month, $79.99 thereafter) tier includes over 200 channels, including channels not available on some other live TV streaming services.
  • Upgrade to 4K resolution with the Elite with Sports Plus tier ($69.99 first month, $99.99 thereafter). It features 299 channels, including NFL RedZone.
  • Fubo also offers live MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games. 
  • All tiers now come with unlimited cloud-based DVR recording.
  • You can watch on up to 10 screens at once with any Fubo plan.
  • Once you subscribe, you can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer.

Sling: The most cost-effective way to stream college football

If you don't have cable TV that includes Fox, one of the most cost-effective ways to stream college football this season is through a subscription to Sling. We suggest leveling up your coverage to the Orange + Blue with Sports Extra tier to get more NFL and college football games this fall.

The Orange + Blue plan regularly costs $60 per month, but the streamer currently offers a $25 off promotion for your first month, so you'll pay just $35. The Orange + Blue with Sports Extra plan is $50 for your first month and $75 per month after. The Sports Extra add-on features 18 channels, including NFL Redzone, ESPNU, SEC Network, Big 10 Network and ACC Network, making it ideal for pro and college football fans.

The streamer is also currently offering big savings on four months of the Orange + Blue tier plus the Sports Extra plan when you prepay for the Sling Season Pass. The plan costs $219, reduced from $300.

Note: Because Sling does not carry CBS, Sling subscribers will want to add Paramount+ to their bundle. (Paramount+ and CBS Essentials are both subsidiaries of Paramount Global.)

Top features of Sling Orange + Blue plan:

  • Sling is our top choice for streaming major sporting events like NASCAR.
  • There are 52 channels to watch in total, including local ESPN, NBC, Fox and ABC affiliates (where available).
  • You get access to most local NFL games and nationally broadcast games at the lowest price.
  • All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.
  • You can add Golf Channel, NBA TV, NHL Network, NFL RedZone, MLB Network, Tennis Channel and more sports-oriented channels (18 in total) via Sling's Sports Extras add-on.

Watch the Illinois vs. Nebraska game on Hulu + Live TV

You can watch college football, including Fox and ESPN with Hulu + Live TV. The bundle features access to 90 channels, including both Fox and FS1. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch every game on every network with Hulu + Live TV, plus catch live NFL preseason games, exclusive live regular season games, popular studio shows (including NFL Total Access and the Emmy-nominated show Good Morning Football) and lots more.

Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+ for $77 per month after a three-day free trial.


Waiting for the game to start? Check out Amazon's college football fan shop

While you wait for today's Illinois vs. Nebraska game to begin, now is a great time to check out Amazon's college football fan shop. The Amazon College Fan Shop is filled to the brim with officially licensed fan gear: You'll find jerseys, team flags, T-shirts, hoodies and more, including tons of great gear for the football fan in your life. There are plenty of great deals awaiting you at Amazon, too, including some must-see deals on TVs for watching sports.

Tap the button below to head directly to the College Fan Shop page on Amazon and select your favorite team.


Watch today's Illinois vs. Nebraska game with a digital HDTV antenna

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Amazon

You can also watch sports airing on network TV with an affordable indoor antenna, which pulls in local over-the-air HDTV channels such as CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, PBS, Univision and more. Here's the kicker: There's no monthly charge.

For anyone living in a partially blocked-off area (those near mountains or first-floor apartments), a digital TV antenna may not pick up a good signal -- or any signal at all. But for many homes, a digital TV antenna provides a seriously inexpensive way to watch sports without paying a cable company. Indoor TV antennas can also provide some much-needed TV backup if a storm knocks out your cable.

This ultra-thin, multi-directional digital antenna with a 65-mile range can receive hundreds of HDTV channels and can filter out cellular and FM signals. It delivers a high-quality picture in 1080p HDTV and top-tier sound. A 12-foot digital coax cable is included.


What are the odds of today's Illinois vs. Nebraska game?

According to our sister site CBS Sports, the Nebraska Cornhuskers are 8-point favorites over the Illinois Fighting Illini. The over/under for today's game is 42.5 points.


What is the Illinois Fighting Illini current team ranking?

The Fighting Illini are currently ranked No. 26 out of 134 teams, according to our sister site CBS Sports.


What is the Nebraska Cornhuskers current team ranking?

The Cornhuskers are currently ranked No. 19 out of 134 teams, according to CBS Sports.


When is the 2024 NCAA college football championship game?

The College Football Playoff National Championship will be Monday, January 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.


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