The NCAAF football tournament is the collegiate football championship in the States. For an European fan, even for someone who is particularly passionate about the NFL, it is very difficult to understand how popular this tournament is. If Sundays are for professional football, Saturdays are dedicated to college showdowns. Often, supporters are more engaged when universities compete than when professional franchises do.

A beloved league to cheer and bet on

In the US, college championships (football particularly, but also basketball) enjoy extraordinary popularity. The level of engagement is absolutely comparable to that of a professional competition. Similarly, these tournaments are also among the most popular in the betting world. NCAA football odds from Oddschecker are a useful resource for monitoring changes in betting odds and identifying the best opportunities on each match-up. The passion for the NCAA football tournament is tangible all across the USA and graduated people, working and with children, are more than happy to spend their Saturdays in their Alma Mater, cheering and supporting students-athletes striving to become the next best superstars in the NFL, or simply playing before their graduation.

Best teams in the NCAA championship

Among the favourite teams to compete in the playoffs there are the Oregon Ducks, the number 1 team in each and every power ranking available since september, when the tournament began. Their roster is simply the most complete in college football. Slightly behind the Ducks, we have the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas Longhorns. About the team based in Austin, it is not difficult to explain why. Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning, are the QB tandem all nation talks about and they have a lot of big weapons at their disposal. The Dogs have been on top of the favourites’ table for months, but they lost a couple of games they should have won and are not looking in their best shape.

Of course, we are talking about the regular season, and everything will be different once the playoffs come, because at that point, whoever loses a game is immediately eliminated from the competition and a single episode can change a whole season. The format, this year, is more competitive than ever because we will have 12 teams, three times more than before.

How to watch NCAA football games on PC and consoles

There are a lot of college teams all across the country and, of course, only the better ones have their games recorded and transmitted on TV. The major sports networks in the US (ESPN, FOX, NBC, CBS and their streaming services) usually transmit a couple of big games each, every Saturday. People who want to follow a team with a good record can rest assured that some channel – and its smartphone application – is going to show the game. Who supports a smaller team, maybe playing in a not-so-popular conference, will be disappointed: the networks won’t show that college whether it doesn’t play against a powerhouse.

Since gaming consoles are becoming true streaming platforms, it is possible to watch a NCAA game through a PS5 Pro, three times faster than a normal PS5, or a Xbox. The user will need to go online and connect to the website of the said networks. The biggest conferences, like ACC, Big10 and SEC, own their networks and people can use that channel to watch the games. These services require a subscription.

Nothing compares to the stadium experience and watching a game on tv is never the same thing. The viewer is going to miss all the sounds, the tailgating and the inimitable atmosphere that make these matches so great to experience live. But, obviously, watching through a screen, whether via PC or via console, is better than not watching at all.