Week 8 College Football TV Schedule 2026: Every Game's Network and DIRECTV Channel
Week 8 of the 2026 college football season runs from Tuesday, October 20, through Saturday, October 24. Saturday opens with Indiana at Michigan at noon on FOX, along with LSU at Auburn and Pitt at Miami. Texas A&M visits Alabama at 3:30 p.m. on ABC, and the night closes with Ole Miss at Texas on ABC and USC at Wisconsin on NBC, both at 7:30 p.m. Friday has two ACC games on ESPN: Duke at Virginia and NC State at Stanford.
Below is every game we could confirm as of October 13, 2026, with the kickoff time, network and DIRECTV channel. All times are Eastern. Games showing two networks, like "ABC or ESPN," are six-day holds, and the networks won't be picked until after the October 17 games, on Sunday, October 18. Seven Big 12 games and three Big Ten afternoon games are also waiting on times or networks. Until they're set, they're marked TBD or TBA.
Week 8 marquee games
| Game | Kickoff (ET) | Network | DIRECTV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana at Michigan | Sat. noon | FOX | Local FOX station |
| LSU at Auburn | Sat. noon | ABC or ESPN (TBD) | Local ABC or ESPN 206 |
| Pitt at Miami | Sat. noon | ABC or ESPN (TBD) | Local ABC or ESPN 206 |
| Texas A&M at Alabama | Sat. 3:30 p.m. | ABC | Local ABC station |
| Oregon at Illinois | Sat. 3 or 3:30 p.m. (TBD) | TBD | TBD |
| Ole Miss at Texas | Sat. 7:30 p.m. | ABC | Local ABC station |
| USC at Wisconsin | Sat. 7:30 p.m. | NBC and Peacock | Local NBC station; Peacock (app) |
| Houston at Utah | Sat. TBA | TBA | TBA |
Rankings will change after this weekend's Week 7 games, so they're left off for now. For game-day details, see our guides to Indiana vs. Michigan on DIRECTV, Texas A&M vs. Alabama on DIRECTV and Ole Miss vs. Texas on DIRECTV.
Tuesday and Wednesday, October 20-21
| Game | Time (ET) | Network | DIRECTV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Tennessee at FIU (Tue., Oct. 20) | 7 p.m. | CBS Sports Network | CBS Sports Network 221 |
| Missouri State at Delaware (Tue., Oct. 20) | 7 p.m. | ESPNU | ESPNU 208 |
| South Alabama at Marshall (Tue., Oct. 20) | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2 | ESPN2 209 |
| Liberty at Kennesaw State (Wed., Oct. 21) | 7 p.m. | CBS Sports Network | CBS Sports Network 221 |
| New Mexico State at Sam Houston (Wed., Oct. 21) | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 | ESPN2 209 |
Thursday, October 22
| Game | Time (ET) | Network | DIRECTV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Madison at App State | 7 p.m. | ESPNU | ESPNU 208 |
| East Carolina at Memphis | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2 | ESPN2 209 |
Thursday night also has the NFL: the Patriots visit the Bears at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
Friday, October 23
| Game | Time (ET) | Network | DIRECTV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke at Virginia | 7 p.m. | ESPN | ESPN 206 |
| UMass at UConn | 7 p.m. | CBS Sports Network | CBS Sports Network 221 |
| Army at Tulsa | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN2 | ESPN2 209 |
| Air Force at Wyoming | 9 p.m. | The CW | The CW (local) |
| NC State at Stanford | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN | ESPN 206 |
Saturday, October 24: noon to early afternoon
| Game | Time (ET) | Network | DIRECTV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana at Michigan | Noon | FOX | FOX (local) |
| LSU at Auburn | Noon | ABC or ESPN (TBD) | ABC (local) or ESPN 206 |
| Pitt at Miami | Noon | ABC or ESPN (TBD) | ABC (local) or ESPN 206 |
| West Virginia at TCU | Noon | ESPN2 | ESPN2 209 |
| California at SMU | Noon | The CW | The CW (local) |
| Rutgers at Northwestern | Noon | Peacock | Peacock (app) |
| Rice at Florida Atlantic | Noon | ESPNU | ESPNU 208 |
| Western Michigan at Toledo | Noon | CBS Sports Network | CBS Sports Network 221 |
| Akron at Kent State | 1 p.m. | ESPN+ | ESPN+ (ESPN app) |
| Miami (Ohio) at Central Michigan | 1 p.m. | ESPN+ | ESPN+ (ESPN app) |
Need ESPN, SEC Network, ACC Network and BTN in one plan? Call 1-855-690-9884 to compare DIRECTV packages.
Saturday, October 24: afternoon
| Game | Time (ET) | Network | DIRECTV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M at Alabama | 3:30 p.m. | ABC | ABC (local) |
| Oklahoma at Mississippi State | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN or SEC Network (TBD) | ESPN 206 or SEC Network 611 |
| Tennessee at South Carolina | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN or SEC Network (TBD) | ESPN 206 or SEC Network 611 |
| Boston College at Georgia Tech | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network | ACC Network 612 |
| Oregon at Illinois | 3 or 3:30 p.m. (TBD) | TBD | TBD |
| Iowa at Minnesota | 3 or 3:30 p.m. (TBD) | TBD | TBD |
| Michigan State at UCLA | 3 or 3:30 p.m. (TBD) | TBD | TBD |
| North Texas at Navy | 3:30 p.m. | CBS Sports Network | CBS Sports Network 221 |
| Hawaii at Northern Illinois | 3:30 p.m. | Mountain West streaming (MW+) | Streaming only |
| Bowling Green at Buffalo | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+ | ESPN+ (ESPN app) |
| Sacramento State at Ball State | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+ | ESPN+ (ESPN app) |
| Eastern Michigan at Ohio | 4 p.m. | ESPNU | ESPNU 208 |
| ULM at Troy | 4 p.m. | ESPN+ | ESPN+ (ESPN app) |
| Old Dominion at Louisiana Tech | 5 p.m. | ESPN+ | ESPN+ (ESPN app) |
| Louisiana at Southern Miss | 5 p.m. | ESPN+ | ESPN+ (ESPN app) |
| San Jose State at Nevada | 5 p.m. | Mountain West streaming (MW+) | Streaming only |
| Boise State at Washington State | 6 p.m. | USA Network | USA Network 242 |
| San Diego State at Colorado State | 6:30 p.m. | The CW | The CW (local) |
Oregon at Illinois, Iowa at Minnesota and Michigan State at UCLA will kick off at 3 or 3:30 p.m., but the Big Ten hasn't named their networks yet. Those picks come after the October 17 games.
Saturday, October 24: evening and late night
| Game | Time (ET) | Network | DIRECTV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Tech at Clemson | 7 or 7:30 p.m. (TBD) | ESPN or ESPN2 (TBD) | ESPN 206 or ESPN2 209 |
| Georgia State at Arkansas State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+ | ESPN+ (ESPN app) |
| Ole Miss at Texas | 7:30 p.m. | ABC | ABC (local) |
| USC at Wisconsin | 7:30 p.m. | NBC and Peacock | NBC (local); Peacock (app) |
| Vanderbilt at Kentucky | 7:30 p.m. | SEC Network | SEC Network 611 |
| Syracuse at North Carolina | 7:30 p.m. | ACC Network | ACC Network 612 |
| Utah State at Texas State | 7:30 p.m. | CBS Sports Network | CBS Sports Network 221 |
| UTSA at Tulane | 8 p.m. | ESPNU | ESPNU 208 |
| North Dakota State at New Mexico | 10 p.m. | The CW | The CW (local) |
Big 12 games still waiting on times
West Virginia at TCU (noon, ESPN2) is the only Big 12 game with a set kickoff so far. The other seven Big 12 games are on Saturday, October 24, but their times and networks won't be announced until Sunday, October 18.
| Game | Time (ET) | Network | DIRECTV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baylor at Kansas | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| BYU at UCF | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Colorado at Oklahoma State | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Houston at Utah | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Iowa State at Arizona | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Kansas State at Arizona State | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Texas Tech at Cincinnati | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Not playing in Week 8: Georgia, Florida, Arkansas and Missouri in the SEC; Penn State, Nebraska, Washington, Purdue and Maryland in the Big Ten; Florida State, Louisville and Wake Forest in the ACC; and Notre Dame. Every Big 12 team plays. Charlotte, Temple, UAB, USF, Jacksonville State, Western Kentucky, UNLV, UTEP, Fresno State, Oregon State, Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern are also off.
DIRECTV channel guide for college football
| Network | DIRECTV channel | Included with |
|---|---|---|
| ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, The CW | Local, varies by market | Core packages where locals are offered |
| ESPN | 206 | ENTERTAINMENT and up |
| ESPN2 | 209 | ENTERTAINMENT and up |
| FS1 | 219 | ENTERTAINMENT and up |
| USA Network | 242 | ENTERTAINMENT and up |
| TNT | 245 | ENTERTAINMENT and up |
| truTV | 246 | ENTERTAINMENT and up |
| ESPNU | 208 | CHOICE and up |
| Big Ten Network (BTN) | 610 | CHOICE and up |
| SEC Network | 611 | CHOICE and up |
| ACC Network | 612 | CHOICE and up |
| CBS Sports Network | 221 | ULTIMATE and up |
For more detail, see ESPNU on DIRECTV, SEC Network on DIRECTV, ACC Network on DIRECTV, BTN on DIRECTV, FS1 on DIRECTV and CBS Sports Network on DIRECTV.
Streaming games in Week 8
- ESPN networks and ESPN+: DIRECTV says eligible customers whose package includes ESPN can activate ESPN Unlimited at no extra cost. It covers ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC and ESPN+, which carries several MAC and Sun Belt games this week.
- FOX games: Indiana at Michigan streams on FOX One, which DIRECTV has said is included with qualifying plans.
- Peacock: Rutgers at Northwestern streams only on Peacock, a separate subscription. USC at Wisconsin is on NBC and also streams on Peacock.
- Mountain West streaming: Hawaii at Northern Illinois and San Jose State at Nevada are listed as MW+ games, so they aren't on a DIRECTV channel.
- The DIRECTV app: streams the channels in your package, including local stations where available.
Missing a channel?
Most Week 8 games are on networks included with DIRECTV's CHOICE package or higher. CBS Sports Network starts with ULTIMATE. If you're on ENTERTAINMENT, games on ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network and BTN won't be in your lineup. Compare the MySports Genre Pack if you mostly want sports, or check DIRECTV options at your address. Last week's games are in our Week 7 TV schedule.
Frequently asked questions
When is Week 8 of the 2026 college football season?
Tuesday, October 20, through Saturday, October 24, 2026, with most games on Saturday.
What channel is Indiana vs. Michigan on DIRECTV?
FOX, on your local FOX station. Kickoff is noon ET on Saturday, October 24, in Ann Arbor.
What channel is Texas A&M vs. Alabama on?
ABC, on your local ABC station, at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 24.
What time is Ole Miss vs. Texas?
7:30 p.m. ET on ABC on Saturday, October 24, in Austin.
What channel is USC vs. Wisconsin on?
NBC, on your local NBC station, at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 24. It also streams on Peacock.
Why do some Week 8 games list two networks or TBD?
Networks hold some games for six days until the previous week's results are in. Those picks, plus times for seven Big 12 games, are set after the October 17 games, on Sunday, October 18.
Questions about your lineup? Call 1-855-690-9884.
Details reviewed October 13, 2026. Kickoff times and TV assignments are set by the conferences and networks, and several were still pending. Local channel availability, channel numbers, packages and prices vary by address and are subject to change. Network names, DIRECTV and related marks belong to their respective owners. American TV is an independent dealer and resource site.