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The Minnesota State Mavericks football team will meet the West Florida Argonauts in the Division II national title game on Saturday at McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, TX.
The game is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPNU. If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of the game on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV Stick, or other streaming device via one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
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AT&T TV Now
AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now) offers six different channel bundles. Of those, the “Max,” “Choice,” “Xtra” and “Ultimate” bundles include ESPNU, while the “Max” package come with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for AT&T TV Now, you can watch a live stream of Minnesota State vs West Florida on your computer via the AT&T TV Now website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other compatible streaming device via the AT&T TV app. You can also watch the game on the ESPN app if you sign in using your AT&T TV Now credentials.
If you can’t watch live, AT&T TV Now — no matter what channel package you choose — comes with included cloud DVR.
Sling TV
Sling TV’s “Sling Orange + Sports Extra” bundle comes with 49 channels, including ESPNU. It costs $35 for the first month ($45 per month after that), which makes Sling the cheapest streaming service with the ESPN channels if you plan on keeping it long term:
Or, as part of a special deal that Sling is currently offering, you can get a free Amazon Fire TV Stick if you prepay for two months:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch Minnesota State vs West Florida live 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 for an additional $5 per month.
Hulu With Live TV
ESPNU is included in Hulu With Live TV, which comes with 60-plus live TV channels and Hulu’s extensive on-demand library of TV shows and movies:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch a live stream of Minnesota State vs West Florida 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, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app. You can also watch the game on the ESPN app if you sign in using your Hulu credentials.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu With Live TV comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as the option to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of space and the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
Minnesota State vs West Florida Preview
The third-seeded Mavericks (14-0) pounded second-seeded Slippery Rock 58-15 on the road in the semifinals a week ago.
Wide receiver Shane Zylstra reeled in 4 catches for 152 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His 1,531 receiving yards on the season lead Division II, and his 17 touchdown grabs rank fourth.
Running back Nate Gunn rushed 15 times for 54 yards. He found the end zone three times to bring his season total to 29 rushing scores, the second-most in D-II.
The senior’s 1,611 rushing yards this season rank third in the nation. He played one year with Division I’s South Dakota Coyotes before joining the Mavericks in 2017.
“I’ve been on a lot of crappy teams with a bad culture,” Gunn said, according to The Free Press. “When I was at South Dakota, we went 4-7 (in 2016) and we beat North Dakota State the year before, and we thought that was enough. I came here, and they were 8-3 the season before, and everyone was pissed off.
“I realized that ‘enough’ should not be in your vocabulary. It’s the culture. I look at things differently now. I understand that if you don’t work you’re hardest, there are other people out there that are working harder. When you’re around great players and great coaches, that brings out the best in you.”
Though he’s played just three seasons in Mankato, Gunn is Minnesota State’s all-time leader in rushing yards (4,866) and rushing scores (63).
“When he arrived in 2017, we didn’t know how good he would be,” Minnesota State head coach Todd Hoffner said, per The Free Press. “He fit the prototype we’re looking for … big back, physical, breaks tackles. We’ve only lost two games since he’s been here. A lot of things go into that, but Nate has been a huge part of our success.”
Hoffner added: “The way he carries himself, a lot of players aspire to play as well as he does. He’s an inspiration to the younger players. His leadership skills on the field are exceptional.”
The fourth-seeded Argonauts (12-2) knocked off the top-seeded Ferris State Bulldogs 28-14 in Big Rapids, MI, in the semifinals.
West Florida entered the fourth quarter trailing 14-10 before scoring 18 unanswered in the final period. Quarterback Austin Reed went 18-of-44 for 299 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a pick.
“Never giving up, never losing heart … it’s just a great, great team victory,” West Florida head coach Pete Shinnick said, according to the Pensacola News Journal. “We’re now going to our second national championship in three years.”