@BearkatsFB on Twitter Image courtesy of Sam Houston Football Twitter account
The reigning three-time FCS national champion North Dakota State Bison take on the undefeated Sam Houston State Bearkats in the Spring FCS Quarterfinals on Sunday in Huntsville, Texas.
The game starts at 3 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN. But if you don’t have cable, here are several different ways you can watch a live stream of North Dakota State vs Sam Houston State online for free:
Note: Heavy may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up via a link on this page
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch North Dakota State vs Sam Houston State live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
You can also watch the game live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but you can use your Fubo credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV also comes with 250 hours of cloud DVR space.
AT&T TV
AT&T TV has four different channel packages: “Entertainment”, “Choice”, “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ESPN is included in every package, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free 14-day trial.
Note that the free trial isn’t advertised as such, but your “due today” amount will be $0 when signing up. If you watch on your computer, phone or tablet, you won’t be charged for 14 days. If you watch on a streaming device on your TV (Roku, Fire Stick, Apple TV, etc.), you will be charged for the first month, but you can get still get a full refund if you cancel before 14 days:
Once signed up for AT&T TV, you can watch North Dakota State vs Sam Houston State live on the AT&T TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the AT&T TV website.
You can also watch the game live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but you can use your AT&T TV credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, AT&T TV also comes with 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to unlimited hours).
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 30-plus other TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” channel bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but you can get $10 off your first month and get Showtime, Starz and Epix included for free:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch North Dakota State vs Sam Houston State live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
You can also watch the game live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but you can use your Sling TV credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 50 hours of cloud DVR.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which you can try out for free with a seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch North Dakota State vs Sam Houston State live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
You can also watch the game live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but you can use your Hulu credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
North Dakota State vs Sam Houston State Preview
Standing in the way of a four-peat for the three-time reigning FCS national champion North Dakota State Bison (7-2) are the undefeated second-seeded Sam Houston State Bearkats (7-0). The Bison and Bearkats will lock up in a Spring FCS Quarterfinal Round matchup on Sunday at Sam Houston State’s Bowers Stadium in Huntsville, Texas.
The Southland Conference champion Bearkats possess one of the most lethal offenses in the nation, averaging 41.4 points per game, and the No. 2 rushing defense in the FCS, allowing just under 60 rushing yards per game.
In their first-round matchup, Sam Houston State held off a valiant comeback effort by Monmouth, beating the Hawks 21-15. The Bearkats held a 21-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter but watched as Monmouth scored 15 unanswered points. Sam Houston State junior defensive back Isaiah Downes sealed the game with an interception on fourth and goal with 48 seconds remaining in the fourth.
Redshirt junior running back Ramon Jefferson rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns as the Bearkats improved to 14-0 in home playoff games.
North Dakota State advanced to their 11th consecutive NCAA quarterfinal round with a 42-20 win over Eastern Washington in the first round.
The Bison overcame a 20-7 second-quarter deficit, scoring 35 unanswered points to close out Eastern Washington’s spring season.
North Dakota State rushed for a total of 422 yards, including 163 yards from freshman running back Dominic Gonnella, who scored his first two career touchdowns.
The Bison captured the last FCS national title in 2019 when they finished a perfect 16-0 en route to their eighth national championship.
North Dakota State is 5-1 all-time against Sam Houston State, including wins in back-to-back championship games in 2011 and 2012.
The winner of North Dakota State and Sam Houston State will face the winner of No. 3 James Madison and North Dakota in the FCS semifinals on Saturday, May 8.
On the other side of the bracket, the No. 1-seeded South Dakota State Jackrabbits will host the Southern Illinois Salukis on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET. The winner of that matchup will face the winner of the fourth-seeded Jacksonville State Gamecocks and the Delaware Blue Hens, who meet at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday.
The 2021 Spring FCS Championship Game is scheduled to be played on Sunday, May 16 at 2 p.m. ET in Frisco, Texas.