A mainstay in the College Football Playoff will face off against a team making its CFP debut in the finale of the first round of games.
The James Madison Dukes, who won the Sun Belt this year for its first-ever conference title, went 12-1 with its only loss coming against Louisville. Coach Bob Chesney will lead the Dukes in today’s game (and beyond, if possible), but Chesney has already accepted the head coaching position at UCLA for next season.
At his UCLA introductory press conference, Chesney said, “there’s going to be a little juggling that’s going to occur here in my life.”
The Oregon Ducks have been in this position before, and recently, too. Last year, the Ducks reached the quarterfinals, but fell to the eventual national champion, Ohio State, in the Rose Bowl.
James Madison vs. Oregon: what to know
- When: Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Autzen Stadium (Eugene, Oregon)
- Channel: TNT
- Streaming: DIRECTV (try it free)
The winner of today’s game will move onto the Orange Bowl against No. 4 Texas Tech on Jan. 1, 2026.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in to the College Football Playoff for free.
James Madison vs. Oregon start time:
James Madison vs. Oregon is scheduled to kick off today, Dec. 20, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch James Madison vs. Oregon:
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the James Madison vs. Oregon playoff game for free.
DIRECTV is our top pick for watching college football live for free — its five-day free trial includes TNT (plus many of the other channels you’ll need for the rest of the NCAA season). When the trial is over, you’ll pay as low as $49.99/month and gain access to over 90 live channels.
If you aren’t ready to commit to a full-on subscription, you can try a Sling Orange Day Pass. Priced at $4.99, you’ll get 24 hours of access to all Sling TV Orange has to offer, including TNT. Sling also offers weekend and week-long passes for its Orange plan, which offer between three and seven days of access.
College Football Playoff 2025-26 key dates
- First round (Dec. 19-20)
- Quarterfinals (Dec. 31 and Jan. 1)
- Cotton Bowl (Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET) – Miami/Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Ohio State
- Orange Bowl (Jan. 1, 12 p.m.) – James Madison/Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
- Rose Bowl (Jan. 1, 4 p.m.) – No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 1 Indiana
- Sugar Bowl (Jan. 1, 8 p.m.) – Tulane/Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia
- Semifinals (Jan. 8-9)
- Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 8, 7:30 p.m.)
- Peach Bowl (Jan. 9, 7:30 p.m.)
- National Championship (Jan. 19, 7:30 p.m.)
Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on all of the best deals to shop at Bath & Body Works, and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
