What channel is Navy vs. Cincinnati on? Live stream, time, TV schedule to watch Liberty Bowl 2026

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What channel is Navy vs. Cincinnati on? Live stream, time, TV schedule to watch Liberty Bowl 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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At the end of October, Navy and Cincinnati both harbored hopes of landing a spot in the College Football Playoff field. Instead, they will close out their seasons Friday in the Liberty Bowl.

The Midshipmen entered November 7-0, while the Bearcats were on a seven-game winning streak after a narrow season-opening loss to Nebraska. Cincinnati’s magic evaporated at that point, with the Bearcats dropping four straight games to close the regular season.

That collapse likely played a role in standout quarterback Brendan Sorsby entering his name in the transfer portal, where he is expected to be one of the most coveted QBs available, and opting out of the bowl game. That means fifth-year senior Brady Lichtenberg will get the start against Navy after attempting only six passes this season.

On the other side, the Mids don’t need to worry about their quarterback situation. Senior Blake Horvath is as steady as it gets in the Navy system, with 1,472 passing yards and a team-high 1,147 rushing yards and 15 TDs on the ground. The Mids (10-2) are riding high after a thrilling comeback victory against Army and should have plenty of motivation as they look to tie the program record with their 11th win.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch Navy vs. Cincinnati on Friday.

What channel is Navy vs. Cincinnati on?

TV channel: ESPN
Live stream:ESPN app | Fubo

The Liberty Bowl will air on ESPN, with Mike Monaco, Kirk Morrison and Dawn Davenport on the call. College football fans can stream the game on the ESPN app and Fubo, the latter offering a free trial.

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Liberty Bowl start time

Date: Friday, Jan. 2
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET | 3:30 p.m. CT

The 2025 Liberty Bowl will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 2. It’s the second of four games on Friday, marking the end of the traditional bowl season. See the full schedule below.

Navy vs. Cincinnati radio station

Radio station: SiriusXM channels 202 (Navy broadcast), 381 (Cincinnati broadcast)

You can listen to the Liberty Bowl live on SiriusXM. Coverage will be available on channel 202 for the Navy call and 381 for the Bearcats’ radio team.

New subscribers can listen to SiriusXM for free for four months. Listen to live NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL games, plus NASCAR, college sports and more. Stay updated with all the news and get all the analysis on multiple sport-specific channels.

Liberty Bowl location, stadium

City: Memphis, Tenn.
Stadium: Liberty Stadium

The Liberty Bowl will be played at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis.

College football bowl schedule 2025-26

Friday, Jan. 2

Bowl	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV/Live stream
Armed Forces Bowl	Texas State vs. Rice	1 p.m.	ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app
Liberty Bowl	Navy vs. Cincinnati	4:30 p.m.	ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app
Duke’s Mayo Bowl	Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest	8 p.m.	ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app
Holiday Bowl	SMU vs. Arizona	8 p.m.	Fox, Fubo

Thursday, Jan. 8

Bowl	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV/Live stream
CFP Semifinal (Fiesta Bowl)	Cotton winner vs. Sugar winner	7:30 p.m.	ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app

Friday, Jan. 9

Bowl	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV/Live stream
CFP Semifinal (Peach Bowl)	Rose winner vs. Orange winner	7:30 p.m.	ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app

Monday, Jan. 19

Bowl	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV/Live stream
CFP National Championship	TBD vs. TBD	7:30 p.m.	ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app