College football is finally back; here’s how to stream Week 0
College football is finally back; here’s how to stream Week 0
See how to stream each televised game of College Football’s Week 0 schedule here.
It’s been a long, hot summer of waiting for college football fans, but at long last, relief has arrived. College Football Week 0 kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 23 at 12 noon ET, with a total of four games set for ESPN, CBS, CBS Sports Network, and Fox. As with every CFB Week 0, there are some intriguing matchups on the slate, including a battle of two top-25 teams. We recommend watching College Football Week 0 with a subscription to Sling TV.
How to watch 2025 College Football Week 0
- When: Starting Saturday, Aug. 23 at 12 noon ET
- TV: CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, Fox
- Stream: Watch with a five-day free trial of DIRECTV.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know about College Football Week 0
What is the schedule of College Football Week 0 games?
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Aug. 23 | 12 noon | Iowa State Cyclones vs. Kansas State Wildcats | ESPN |
| 6:30 p.m. | Fresno State Bulldogs vs. Kansas Jayhawks | Fox | |
| 7 p.m. | Sam Houston State Bearkats vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers | CBS Sports Network | |
| 7:30 p.m. | Stanford Cardinal vs. Hawaii Rainbow Warriors | CBS |
Why do we recommend watching 2025 College Football Week 0 on DIRECTV?
DIRECTV is our No. 1 for watching the 2025 College Football Week 0 slate. The service’s MySports Genre Pack has access to CBS in a growing number of markets, as well as CBS Sports Network, Fox in many areas, and ESPN everywhere — and provides one of the cheapest ways to watch all of these channels in one place for $70 per month.
MySports comes with a five-day free trial, as well as a limited-time discount of $10 per month off for your first month of service. Once you have your subscription, you’ll also be able to sign in and use the new ESPN Unlimited streaming service at no extra cost.
DIRECTV
DIRECTV is one of The Streamable’s top choices for the best live TV streaming service overall in 2026, especially for users who want the most channels or want to watch the most live sports. With an unbeatable lineup of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels, three main signature packages, an unlimited DVR, and 20 simultaneous streams at home, DIRECTV remains a premier choice for any cord-cutter.
Can you watch 2025 College Football Week 0 for free?
Apart from DIRECTV, there are several services that offer free trials, which will allow you to watch College Football Week 0 for free on CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, and Fox.
Fubo comes with a free trial between one and seven days, depending on what time of month you sign up and other factors. When the trial concludes, Fubo costs $85 per month plus fees.
Hulu + Live TV comes with the same free trial for all new customers, three days in length. Once the trial ends, Hulu + Live TV costs $83 per month for plans that include the Disney Bundle.
Finally, YouTube TV has a free trial that can last between two days and two weeks. After it’s over, YouTube TV costs $83 per month.
What are all the services you can use to watch 2025 College Football Week 0
DIRECTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV are the four streamers you can use to watch all the games from the Week 0 slate on the same app. Of these options, DIRECTV is our clear favorite.
You can watch the Stanford vs. Hawaii game on CBS on Paramount+ with a free trial to its Premium plan.
The new ESPN direct-to-consumer service can be used to watch the Iowa State vs. Kansas State game, costing $30 per month to start.
Sling TV can also be used to stream that game for as little as $5 with a Day Pass, and in some markets, Fox is also available in the Blue plan for $46 per month.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $25 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| CBS | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| CBS Sports Network | + $15 | + $59 | + $61 | - | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| ESPN | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| Fox | + $19 | + $59 | + $61 | - | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
Preview Iowa State vs. Kansas State
About College Football Week 0
There are intriguing storylines to enjoy with every College Football Week 0 game. The Sam Houston Bearkats won 10 games in 2024, but the Hilltoppers’ high-powered offense could make this quite a shootout. Stanford has a new head coach, with Frank Reich leading the way now, and it’s always cool to see the Hawaii team in action.
Fresno State is led into the 2025 season by E.J. Warner, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, while Kansas returns Jalon Daniels, setting up a high-profile quarterback duel. And as Kansas State and Iowa State head to Dublin, all anyone will be able to talk about is a matchup of two ranked teams to kick off the season.
How to watch 2025 College Football Week 0 from anywhere
If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the games as you normally would, you can still catch all of the action no matter where you are in the world with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer and make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to be subscribed to a live TV streaming service like DIRECTV in order to stream the game with a VPN.
NordVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get two full years of protection for just $3.59 per month — plus you’ll get three extra months FREE. A high-speed VPN with best-in-class security that can be used on up to 10 devices at once — what more could you ask for? Simply sign up, install the software on your device of choice, and start streaming just as you would back home. It couldn’t be easier!
While NordVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling, there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.
- Best Features: ExpressVPN | Starting at $5 per month
- Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
- Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available