Getty Images Rocky Lombardi of the Northern Illinois Huskies.
The MAC title is on the line as Kent State takes on Northern Illinois on Saturday at Ford Field in Detroit.
The game (Noon ET start time) will be televised on ESPN. But if you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of Kent State vs Northern Illinois online:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch Kent State vs Northern Illinois live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Fubo credentials to log in and watch.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 30-plus other live TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” package. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with ESPN, and you can get your first month for just $10:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch Kent State vs Northern Illinois 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 or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), 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 live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Sling credentials to log in and watch.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream (formerly AT&T TV) has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ESPN is included in every one, 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 DirecTV Stream, you can watch Kent State vs Northern Illinois live on the DirecTV Stream app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Stream website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your DirecTV Stream credentials (may still be listed as AT&T on the list of cable providers) to log in and watch.
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 90+ other TV channels on Vidgo, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch Kent State vs Northern Illinois live on the Vidgo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Vidgo website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Vidgo credentials to log in and watch.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch Kent State vs Northern Illinois live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Hulu credentials to log in and watch.
Kent State vs NIU MAC Championship Preview
Offensive fireworks are expected as Kent State meets up with NIU in the Mac Championship on Saturday. The Golden Flashes have not won a MAC title since 1972, while the Huskies are seeking their first since 2018.
“There’s 14 of them that were in our very first team meeting that are still on our roster and they’re really the heart and soul of our team,” fourth-year head coach Sean Lewis said, crediting the players who have stuck around the program. “They didn’t have to stay, especially in this day and age where there’s a coaching change and guys decide to go other places. They bought in on what our plan was to win.”
Michigan State transfer Rocky Lombardi has been a difference-maker for the Huskies, passing for 2,314 yards and 13 touchdowns. He chose to join NIU after they went 0-6 following the pandemic-shortened season.
“We wouldn’t be here without Rocky Lombardi as our quarterback,” NIU coach Thomas Hammock said. “I explained to him, I know this is going to sound crazy, but we are a tremendous leader at quarterback away from being a championship-type team. ‘And, if you’re the type of guy that you seem to be, we can have an opportunity next season to win a championship.
“That sounds like a lot coming from a guy who was 0-6 at the time, but I knew the type of team we were building. We took a bunch of lumps with young guys and Rocky came in and was exactly what we needed.”
Lombardi embraced the challenge of helping turn around the squad.
“Them going 0-6 almost attracted me to the program a little bit more,” Lombardi said. “I liked what coach Thomas Hammock had to say and I had faith in him.”
Kent State won the regular-season matchup between the two teams, coming out on top 52-47 behind a 31-point second quarter.
“I told our players, you should feel zero pressure,” said Hammock. “I said we almost gave up 700 yards the last time we played them. What if we could do less? Just give up less.”
Kent State enters as a 3.5-point favorite, with the total set at a massive 74.5 points. Kent State is 4-1 against the spread in their last five games. Northern Illinois is 6-3 against the spread in its last nine games.