IOWA CITY, Iowa — Big Ten college football is back, and one of the early prime games of the season is #25 Iowa hosting the Illinois State Redbirds out of the Missouri Valley Conference today. Kickoff is slated for noon Eastern on the Big Ten Network.

If you don’t have cable but would like to watch college football, you can utilize free streams from Fubo, DirecTV Stream. Each offer a free trial to new users. Sling has promotional offers as well.

Iowa is coming off a heck of a season, specifically their third season with 10 wins in the last five seasons. The Hawkeyes ranked as high as No. 16 last season, and ended their season with a loss in the Citrus Bowl to Tennessee.

Illinois State comes into the season off back-to-back 6-5 seasons, and will suit up vs. Iowa without head coach Kirk Ferentz and wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr, due to them serving self-imposed one-game suspensions due to a recruiting violation.

Here’s more details on how you can watch today’s matchup.

What: #25 Iowa vs. Illinois State

When: Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024

Time: 12:00 p.m. Eastern

Where: Kinnick Stadium | Iowa City, Iowa

Channel: BTN (Big Ten Network)

Best Streaming Options: FuboTV (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial). Sling (half off first month)

Channel finder if you have cable: Verizon Fios, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV and Dish.

Here is more background ahead of the Iowa-Illinois State game from the Associated Press:

Series record: Iowa leads 1-0.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Iowa got all it could handle the last time it played an opponent from the Football Championship Subdivision, winning 7-3 over South Dakota State in the 2022 opener. The Hawkeyes will be without coach Kirk Ferentz and wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr. They’ll serve self-imposed one-game suspensions for committing a recruiting violation. Seth Wallace will be acting head coach. The Redbirds last played a Big Ten opponent in 2022, losing 38-0 at Wisconsin.

KEY MATCHUP

Iowa fans get their first look at the offense under new coordinator Tim Lester, who takes over for the fired Brian Ferentz after the Hawkeyes ranked last and second-to-last in yards per game the last two years. QB Cade McNamara, whose season ended in the fifth game because of a major knee injury, returns as the starter. The Redbirds bring back nine of their top 11 tacklers from the defense that allowed 20.5 points per game to rank 22nd in the FCS.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Illinois State: LB Amir Abdullah is one of the most disruptive defenders in the FCS. Last season he had 9.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss among his 64 total stops. He also had three quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles.

Iowa: TE Luke Lachey passed on declaring for the NFL draft and returns from the knee injury that knocked him out for the season in the third game.

FACTS & FIGURES

Iowa has been ranked in the preseason five straight years, matching the longest streak in program history (1957-61). … Kamari Moulton is listed as the No. 1 running back on the Iowa depth chart ahead of veterans Leshon Williams and Kaleb Johnson. Ferentz said Williams has been battling a nagging injury and Moulton merits the job for being consistently sharp at practice. … The Hawkeyes have allowed fewer than 20 points per game in eight consecutive seasons, the longest active streak in the nation. … Illinois State had not named a starting quarterback as of midweek. It will be either 2023 backup Tommy Rittenhouse or Kansas State transfer Jake Rubley.