Ultimate 2023-4 NCAA football bowl game guide: How and when to watch the biggest games
The 2023 NCAA college football bowl games are on. This 2023 NCAA college football season finished with upsets that left the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Georgia Bulldogs rocked out of contention for the national championship, and a Michigan Wolverines team who proved this year's squad is scandal-proof.
There are 42 NCAA college football bowl games on this season's calendar. Keep reading for our picks for the must-watch bowl games of the 2023 college football season, plus a schedule of all 42 games just in case you're up for a college football bowl game marathon.
The best bowl games of 2023-4
Catching all 42 bowl games this winter is going to be tough. We've narrowed our list down to 14 must-watch bowl games this college football season (including the national championship game on Jan. 9). These games feature the hottest rivalries, the top-ranked teams of the 2023 college football season and the most intense matchups of the season. All times are ET.
- Cricket Celebration Bowl: Howard vs. Florida A&M, Dec. 16, 2023 at 12:00 p.m (ABC)
- Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Kansas vs. UNLV, Dec. 26, 2023 at 9:00 p.m. (ESPN)
- Holiday Bowl: Louisville vs. USC, Dec. 27, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. (Fox)
- Texas Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M, Dec. 27, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN)
- Alamo Bowl: Arizona vs. Oklahoma, Dec. 28, 2023 at 9:15 p.m (ESPN)
- Cotton Bowl: Missouri vs. Ohio State, Dec. 29, 2023 at 8:00 p.m (ESPN)
- Peach Bowl: Penn State vs. Ole Miss, Dec. 30, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. (ESPN)
- Orange Bowl: Georgia vs. Florida State, Dec 30, 2023 at 4:00 p.m (ESPN)
- Sugar Bowl: Texas vs. Washington, Jan. 1, 2024 at 8:45 p.m. (ESPN)
- ReliaQuest Bowl: LSU vs. Wisconsin, Jan. 1, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
- Citrus Bowl: Iowa vs. Tennessee, Jan. 1, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. (ABC)
- Fiesta Bowl: Liberty vs. Oregon, Jan. 1, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. (ESPN)
- Rose Bowl: Michigan vs. Alabama, Jan. 1, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. (ESPN)
- National Championship: Rose Bowl winner vs Sugar Bowl winner, Jan. 9, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN)
How to watch the top college football bowl games without cable
Watching the 2023 NCAA college football bowl games has never been easier. All the 2023 NCAA college football bowl games will air on either ABC, CBS, ESPN or ESPN2. Whether you're watching on a TV or mobile device, there are easy and inexpensive ways to stream the bowl games without cable.
Stream the 2023 NCAA college football bowl games on Sling TV
ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 are included in many cable TV packages. Don't have a cable TV package? One of the most cost-effective ways to get the channel is through a subscription to Sling TV. The streamer offers access to college football bowl games that air on local networks (where available), the NFL Network, and ESPN with its Orange + Blue Tier plan. Also worth noting: Sling TV comes with 50 hours of cloud-based DVR recording space included, perfect for recording all the season's top NFL and college football matchups. (Note: SlingTV does not stream games airing locally on CBS).
That plan normally costs $60 per month, but the streamer is currently offering a 50% off promotion for your first month, so you'll pay just $30. You can learn more by tapping the button below.
Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue tier:
- There are 46 channels to watch in total, including local 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.
Watch the 2023 NCAA college football bowl games free with FuboTV
You can catch the games on FuboTV. FuboTV is a sports-centric streaming service that offers access to almost every college football game of the season, most NFL games this season. In addition to the SEC Network, packages include CBS, ABC, Fox Sunday NFC games via "NFL on Fox", NBC (Sunday Night Football), ESPN (Monday Night Football), ESPN2, NFL Network and more, so you'll be able to watch more than these bowl games, all without a cable subscription.
To watch college football without cable, start a seven-day free trial of Fubo. You can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer. In addition to college football, you'll have access to NFL football, FuboTV offers MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games.
FuboTV holiday deal: FuboTV is running a holiday deal. For a limited time, new subscribers can save $40 on Fubo's Pro, Elite, and Premier plans -- $20 off the first and second months. That means you can get a Fubo Pro plan for as low as $55 per month.
Top features of FuboTV Pro Tier:
- There are no contracts with FuboTV -- you can cancel at any time.
- The Pro tier includes 169 channels, including NFL Network. (You'll need to upgrade to Ultimate for NFL RedZone.)
- FuboTV includes all the channels you'll need to watch college and pro football, including CBS (not available through Sling TV).
- All tiers come with 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR recording.
- Stream on your TV, phone, and other devices.
Stream college football bowl games on Hulu + Live TV
You can watch every college football bowl game with Hulu + Live TV. The bundle features access to 90 channels, including ABC, CBS, ESPN and ESPN2. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Plus, you can personalize your viewing experience and Hulu will offer curated recommendations based on the teams and playmakers you follow.
Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+ for $77 per month.
Watch more college football with ESPN+
If you're a college football fan, you need to know about ESPN+. The streaming service offers incredibly wide access to just about every college football game in the nation, including many of the best bowl games this season. You even get access to games not broadcast nationally on cable TV. ESPN+ also features exclusive sports articles, fantasy football tools, live baseball games, live college basketball games, golf matches, soccer games and more. (Note that ESPN+ does not give you access to the ESPN cable channel.)
You can sign up for ESPN+ for $10.99 per month, or $109.99 per year. You can bundle ESPN+ with Disney+ (with ads) and Hulu (with ads) for $14.99 per month. Tap the button below to learn more about ESPN+ and to sign up to watch today's game.
Watch college football live with a digital HDTV antenna
If you're cutting the cord to your cable company, you're not alone; in fact, you are in luck. You can still watch the NFL on TV with an affordable indoor antenna, which pulls in local over-the-air HDYC channels such as CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, PBS, Univision and more. Here's the kicker: There's no monthly charge.
Anyone living in 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 college football without paying a cable company. Indoor TV antennas can also provide some much-needed TV backup if a storm knocks out your cable (or your cable company gets in a squabble with a network).
This amplified digital antenna can receive hundreds of HD TV channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, FOX, Univision and can filter out cellular and FM signals. It received signals 360 degrees and delivers a high-quality picture in 4K, UHD and 1080 HDTV, top-tier sound and features a 16-foot digital coax cable. This Amazon bestselling antenna is currently $23.
2023 NCAA College Football Season: Postseason schedule at a glance
- College Bowl games run Dec. 16, 2023 through Jan. 1, 2024.
- Two semifinal games, the Rose Bowl Game and the Allstate Sugar Bowl, are scheduled for New Year's Day (Monday, Jan. 1, 2024).
- The College Football Playoff National Championship is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Full NCAA college football bowl game schedule
All times listed are Eastern.
Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023
- Myrtle Beach Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. Ohio, 11 a.m. (ESPN)
- Celebration Bowl: Florida A&M vs. Howard, 12 p.m. (ABC)
- New Orleans Bowl: Jacksonville State vs. Louisiana, 2:15 p.m. (ESPN)
- Cure Bowl: Miami (Ohio) vs. Appalachian State, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)
- New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State vs. New Mexico State, 5:45 p.m. (ESPN)
- LA Bowl: UCLA vs. Boise State, 7:30 p.m. (ABC)
- Independence Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Cal, 9:15 p.m. (ESPN)
Monday, Dec. 18, 2023
- Bahamas Bowl (Temporarily renamed the Famous Toastery Bowl): Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023
- Frisco Bowl: Marshall vs. UTSA, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023
- Boca Raton Bowl: USF vs. Syracuse, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, Dec. 22, 2023
- Gasparilla Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. UCF, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023
- Birmingham Bowl: Troy vs. Duke, 12 p.m. (ABC)
- Camellia Bowl: Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois, 12 p.m. (ESPN)
- Armed Forces Bowl: Air Force vs. James Madison, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)
- Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Georgia State vs. Utah State, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
- 68 Ventures Bowl: Eastern Michigan vs. South Alabama, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
- Las Vegas Bowl: Northwestern vs. Utah, 7:30 p.m. (ABC)
- Hawai'i Bowl: San Jose State vs. Coastal Carolina, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023
- Quick Lane Bowl: Bowling Green vs. Minnesota, 2 p.m. (ESPN)
- First Responder Bowl: Texas State vs. Rice, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)
- Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Kansas vs. UNLV, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023
- Military Bowl: Tulane vs. Virginia Tech, 2 p.m. (ESPN)
- Duke's Mayo Bowl: North Carolina vs. West Virginia, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)
- Holiday Bowl: No. 15 Louisville vs. Southern Cal, 8 p.m (Fox)
- Texas Bowl: No. 20 Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023
- Fenway Bowl: No. 24 SMU vs. Boston College, 11 a.m. (ESPN)
- Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers vs. Miami (Fla.), 2:15 p.m. (ESPN)
- Pop-Tarts Bowl: No. 18 NC State vs. No. 25 Kansas State, 5:45 p.m. (ESPN)
- Alamo Bowl: No. 12 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Arizona, 9:15 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, Dec. 29, 2023
- Gator Bowl: No. 22 Clemson vs. Kentucky, 12 p.m. (ESPN)
- Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: No. 16 Notre Dame vs. No. 19 Oregon State, 2 p.m. (CBS)
- Liberty Bowl: Memphis vs. Iowa State, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
- Cotton Bowl: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Missouri, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023
- Peach Bowl: No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 11 Ole Miss, 12 p.m. (ESPN)
- Music City Bowl: Auburn vs. Maryland, 2 p.m. (ABC)
- Orange Bowl: No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 6 Georgia , 4 p.m. ( ESPN)
- Arizona Bowl: Wyoming vs. Toledo, 4:30 p.m. (CW Network/Barstool)
Monday, Jan. 1, 2024
- ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 13 LSU vs. Wisconsin, 12 p.m. (ESPN2)
- Citrus Bowl: No. 17 Iowa vs. No. 21 Tennessee, 1 p.m. (ABC)
- Fiesta Bowl: No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 23 Liberty, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
- College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
- College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Washington vs. No. 3 Texas. 8:45 p.m. (ESPN)
Monday, Jan. 8, 2024
- College Football Playoff National Championship Game, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
