Twitter/@Hawks_Wrestling Iowa Hawkeyes 125-pounder Spencer Lee.
The No. 1 Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling team will open their pandemic-delayed season on Friday when they host the No. 5 Nebraska Cornhuskers in Big Ten action.
The match starts at 9 p.m. ET and will be televised on Big Ten Network. But if you don’t have cable or don’t have that channel, here’s how you can watch a live stream of Nebraska vs Iowa online for free:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of Big Ten Network, the BTN alternate channels (for when there are multiple games or matches on BTN at the same time) and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV, which you can use for free with a seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch Nebraska vs Iowa 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 live via FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports app. You need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but you can do that with your FuboTV credentials.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV also comes with cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to watch the match on-demand within three days of its conclusion, even if you don’t record it.
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of Big Ten Network and 65+ other TV channels on Vidgo, which you can use for free with a seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch Nebraska vs Iowa live on the Vidgo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Vidgo website.
You can also watch live via FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports app. You need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but you can do that with your Vidgo credentials.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of Big Ten Network 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 Nebraska vs Iowa 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 live via FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports app. You need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but you can do that with your Hulu credentials.
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).
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of Big Ten Network and 50-plus other TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Blue + Sports Extra” bundle. It’s the cheapest streaming service with BTN, plus 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 Nebraska vs Iowa 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 live via FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports app. You need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but you can do that with your Sling credentials.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 10 hours of cloud DVR.
Nebraska vs Iowa Preview
Last year, the top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes seemed prime to claim the program’s 24th team national championship before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season.
This time around, they’re bringing back nine All-Americans from a squad that went 13-0 overall and 9-0 in conference action en route to the 2019-20 Big Ten title.
“I mean we know the way that things finished last year,” 174-pound three-time All-American Michael Kemerer said, according to The Daily Iowan, “that it just kind of leaves a taste in your mouth that it sticks with you a little bit, so I think we all kind of understand that.”
Kemerer is one of three Hawkeyes entering the season ranked at the top of his weight class by InterMat, along with 125-pounder Spencer Lee and 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman.
On Jan. 5, Lee received the 2020 Dan Hodge Trophy he’d won more than nine months earlier as the nation’s most dominant wrestler. He outscored opponents 234-18 in 2019-20 and received 51 out of 56 possible first-place votes.
“The Hodge Trophy, there’s no controversy on who the Hodge Trophy winner was in 2020,” Iowa head coach Tom Brands said of the two-time individual national champion, per The Daily Iowan. “That shows the dominance. In other years there’s been maybe where somebody feels like they got left out. This one was without a doubt.”
Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena won’t host fans other than wrestlers’ immediate families this season due to the pandemic.
“We’re not going to face the 15,000 crazy Iowa fans who would be screaming,” Nebraska head coach Mark Manning said, according to the Omaha World-Herald. “Their families are going to be loud enough.
“Everyone needs to go to a University of Iowa wrestling match to experience that because it’s unlike anything else.”
Unlike the Hawkeyes, the Cornhuskers have already embarked on their season, besting the No. 12 Minnesota Golden Gophers 22-14 on Jan. 8.
Liam Cronin, a 125-pounder ranked 11th by InterMat, impressed in his Cornhuskers debut, besting No. 15 Patrick McKee with an 8-1 decision. A redshirt senior, Cronin transferred from the Indiana Hoosiers over the offseason.
“I really liked Liam Cronin. He started us off the right way,” Manning said, per the Omaha World-Herald. “He wrestled a tough kid and he pretty much dominated the action.”
Eric Schultz, ranked No. 2 at 197 pounds, triumphed handily as well, besting Garrett Joles with a 14-3 major decision.
“Eric Schultz did what Eric Schultz is going to do,” Manning said of the squad’s highest-ranked wrestler, per the Omaha World-Herald. “Eric deserves everything he gets because he really puts in a lot of work and is passionate about the sport. He’s a machine.”