Getty North Dakota State will play Eastern Washington in the FCS championship game.
The North Dakota State Bison and the Eastern Washington Eagles will meet in Frisco, Texas, on Saturday for the FCS championship game.
The game is scheduled to start at Noon ET and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN 2. If you don’t have cable, you can still watch a live stream of the game on your computer, phone, video game console, smart TV, or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPN News. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
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).
ESPN and ESPN2 are both included in the “Sling Orange” channel bundle, while ESPNU and ESPN News are in the “Sports Extra” add-on. You can sign up for a free seven-day trial of both packages right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
ESPN Platforms
Additionally, you can watch a live stream of the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet, or streaming device via the ESPN app. You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or Sling TV credentials to sign in and watch on the ESPN digital platforms.
FCS National Championship Preview
The Bison (14-0) went undefeated in the regular season, then demolished the South Dakota State Jackrabbits 44-21 in the semifinals to punch a ticket to their seventh FCS championship game in eight years. A year ago, they won their 14th national championship.
Stick completed 12 of 15 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown. He also carried the ball 16 times for a game-high 147 yards and three more scores, without turning the ball over.
The fifth-year senior has 48 career victories. A win on Saturday, and he’ll set the record for the most quarterback wins in FCS history. He’s currently tied with former Bison quarterback Brock Jensen, who led the team to three straight national titles from 2011 to 2013.
“I’m a little of jealous of Easton because he’s 10 times more of an athlete than I ever was,” Jensen said, according to The Bismarck Tribune. “He’s a lot faster and more agile, and I was lowering the shoulder a lot more than he did.”
Saturday’s game will also be a farewell for Bison head coach Chris Klieman, who’ll stalk the sidelines for Kansas State next season. He took over in 2014, meaning his fifth-year seniors have been with him for the entirety of his tenure as NDSU’s head coach.
“They’ve made a huge impact on my life and on my family’s, and obviously they’re doing that in the locker room as well,” Klieman said, according to The Wichita Eagle. “That’s what’s pretty cool. That’s where I know the culture is going to stay the same, because the juniors see it, the sophomores see it, the freshmen see it. And that’s Bison pride and that’s Bison football.”
The Eagles went 11-2 in the regular season, then walloped the Maine Black Bears 50-19 in the semis. Sophomore quarterback Eric Barriere completed 21 of 30 passes for 352 yards and an FCS playoff record seven touchdown passes. He added 53 yards on the ground.
“He’s really athletic and I think they’re almost more dynamic with him,” Bison safety James Hendricks said, according to The Dickinson Press. “Their running game is a little bit more efficient and they’re really explosive in the pass game. They’ve got a lot skill positions that are really fast and they have a lot of team speed.”
Barriere took charge of the Eastern Washington’s offense when Gage Gubrud, who opened the season as the starter, went down with an injury in a win over Montana State.
“It’s pretty crazy because I didn’t think I was even going to play this year,” Barriere said, per The Dickson Press. “I thought I would just get my snaps here and there.”