Where to watch conference championship games, tv, streaming

Conference champions will be crowned during a busy weekend of college football

By Will Backus

Dec 5, 2025 at 12:20 pm ET • 3 min read

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One of the best weeks on the college football calendar is here. Starting Friday, 18 FBS teams will compete in their respective conference championships.

There are, obviously, major implications beyond the conference level. The five highest-ranked conference champions following the action all earn an automatic bid to the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Though conference titles no longer guarantee a first-round bye, winning this weekend could help a team log down a top four seed and, thus, skip the first round of the College Football Playoff. Others just outside that conversation can solidify their case to host a first-round playoff game.

Conference championship games are also important for teams on the bubble, like No. 11 BYU and No. 10 Alabama. They could make the expanded field without winning, but it's always good to take the decision out of the selection committee's hands.

Then there's the opposite end of the spectrum, represented by the Big Ten Championship Game. No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana undoubtedly want to win a title, but there's no worrying about their postseason fate beyond that. They have already done enough to make the cut, beyond the shadow of any doubt.

The best games

North Texas at No. 20 Tulane (Friday) -- 8 p.m. on ABC, fuboTV (try for free): What's on the line, other than a coveted conference title? Nothing less than an automatic bid to the CFP. The selection committee has been consistent in its ranking of American Conference teams ahead of any other Group of Five competitors. That means whoever emerges from this one victorious can feel good about its chances of making the 12-team field without any worries.

No. 11 BYU at No. 5 Texas Tech -- Noon on ABC, fuboTV (try for free): Neither BYU nor Texas Tech has ever won a Big 12 title. That will change Saturday. There's a lot at stake beyond that. The Red Raiders can feel good about their playoff chances regardless of what happens, but they'll likely lock down a coveted first-round bye with a win. On the other hand, this feels like a must-win for BYU. The Cougars can still sneak in as an at-large team with a loss, but it seems highly unlikely given the other programs on the bubble.

No. 3 Georgia at No. 10 Alabama -- 4 p.m. on ABC, fuboTV (try for free): This will be the third time since 2020 that Georgia and Alabama have met with the SEC title on the line. The Crimson Tide are 2-0 in previous SEC Championship Game showdowns. Alabama's dominance against former assistant Kirby Smart is well-publicized. The Crimson Tide hold a 7-1 record against Georgia since Smart took over. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, they're a playoff team even with another loss. Alabama can't necessarily say the same, though it's difficult to see the Tide getting left by the wayside even if they don't leave Atlanta with a trophy.

No. 2 Indiana at No. 1 Ohio State -- 8 p.m. on Fox, fuboTV (try for free): It may come as no surprise, but this marks Indiana's first appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game. It could be the first of many under coach Curt Cignetti, who continues to defy expectations. While there's plenty of motivation to win a conference title for both sides, the result of this game won't change much. Unless it's a landslide, both Ohio State and Indiana seem locked in as top-four seeds in the College Football Playoff.

Duke at No. 17 Virginia -- 8 p.m. on ABC, fuboTV (try for free): The ACC Championship Game could present a real problem for the conference itself. If Virginia wins, it will snag one of the automatic bids to the CFP. Things get messy if Duke pulls off an upset. There's a good chance that another Group of Five champion -- perhaps James Madison -- would rank higher than ACC champion Duke. That means the ACC would lose out on an auto-bid and two Group of Five conferences would make the CFP.