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- How to watch the 2026 American Bowl live on TV and online
- Game date and kickoff time for American Bowl 2026
- Where the American Bowl is played: Victory Field, Lakeland
- Teams and roster format for the American Bowl
- How the American Bowl supports veterans and active service members
- Useful links and other college football resources
The American Bowl makes its first appearance as an annual college football all‑star showcase this week in Lakeland, Florida. The event brings draft‑eligible talent together for practices, interviews and a primetime game that scouts and NFL fans will be watching closely.
How to watch the 2026 American Bowl live on TV and online
- National TV: NFL Network
- Streaming: Fubo (live stream)
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The game will be carried nationally by NFL Network. Cord cutters can stream the matchup on Fubo. Fubo often offers a free trial for new users, which may let you watch without committing to a subscription first.
Game date and kickoff time for American Bowl 2026
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026
- Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. CT
Plan for an evening kickoff. Pregame coverage and practice reports will appear throughout the day.
Where the American Bowl is played: Victory Field, Lakeland
- Host city: Lakeland, Florida
- Stadium: Victory Field at Southeastern University
Victory Field provides a compact, soccer‑style stadium setting on a college campus. The site was chosen to create an intimate atmosphere for scouts and fans.
Teams and roster format for the American Bowl
Players are split into two squads: the Guardians and the Warhawks. The rosters include quarterbacks, skill players, linemen and specialists from across divisions.
Offensive rosters — Guardians vs. Warhawks
| Position | Guardians | Warhawks |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Maverick McIvor, WKU Tommy Castellanos, FSU Jack Strand, MSU Moorhead |
Dequan Finn, Miami (OH) Jacob Clark, Missouri St. Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers |
| RB | Kejon Owens, FIU Curtis Allen, Virginia Union Jamal Haynes, Georgia Tech Barika Kpeenu, NDSU |
Lincoln Pare, Texas State Cash Jones, Georgia Shomari Lawrence, Missouri St. Star Thomas, Tennessee |
| WR | Eric McAlister, TCU Gabe Benyard, Kennesaw St. Chris Hilton Jr., LSU Will Pauling, Notre Dame Noah Short, Army Anthony Smith, ECU RaRa Thomas, Troy Max Tomczak, Youngstown St. |
Nick DeGennaro, JMU Cyrus Allen, Cincinnati O’Mega Blake, Arkansas Wes Grimes, NC State Donaven McCulley, Michigan Ty Montgomery, John Carroll DT Sheffield, Rutgers Junior Vandeross III, Toledo |
| TE | RJ Maryland, SMU Tanner Arkin, Illinois Drew Biber, Minnesota Matt Hibner, SMU |
Khalil Dinkins, Penn State Cody Hardy, NC State Miles Kitselman, Tennessee Chamon Metayer, Arizona St. |
| OL | Mason Randolph, Boise State Kobe Baynes, Kansas Bryce Foster, Kansas Alan Herron, Maryland Jaren Kump, Utah Henry Lutovsky, Nebraska Connor Tollison, Missouri Enrique Cruz Jr., Kansas Mason Murphy, Auburn Albert Reese IV, Mississippi St. Paul Rubelt, UCF Trevonte Sylvester, Louisville |
Austin Leausa, BYU Nick Dawkins, Penn State Gavin Gerhardt, Cincinnati Tristan Leigh, Clemson Luke Petitbon, FSU Tomas Rimac, Virginia Tech Derek Simmons, Oklahoma Reuben Fatheree II, Texas A&M Gunnar Hansen, FSU Christian Jones, San Diego St. Ethan Onianwa, Ohio St. Jeff Persi, Pitt |
Defensive lineups and secondary
| Position | Guardians | Warhawks |
|---|---|---|
| DL/DE | Jacobian Guillory II, LSU Cole Brevard, Texas Jahmeer Carter, Virginia Rene Konga, Louisville Anterio Thompson, Washington Daniel Rickert, Virginia Isaiah Smith, SMU Malick Sylla, Mississippi St. Eddie Walls, Houston |
Tyre West, Tennessee Aaron Graves, Iowa Kody Huisman, Virginia Tech Damon Payne, Michigan Payton Zdroik, Air Force Khordae Sydnor, Vanderbilt TJ Guy, Michigan Sabastian Harsh, NC State Dayon Hayes, Texas A&M |
| LB | Javin Wright, Nebraska James Jackson, Virginia Cole Kozlowski, UCF Keli Lawson, UCF Namdi Obiazor, TCU TJ Quinn, Louisville |
Jack Dingle, Cincinnati Shad Banks, UTSA Erick Hunter, Morgan St. Langston Patterson, Vanderbilt Quinn Urwiler, NIU Mason Woods, Kent St. |
| CB | Ayden Garnes, Arizona Channing Canada, TCU Michael Dansby, Arizona DJ Harvey, USC Jalen Jones, William & Mary Latrell McCutchin Sr., Houston |
Elijah Culp, JMU Rashad Battle, Pitt Nasir Bowers, Toledo Ricardo Hallman, Wisconsin AZ Hamilton, Fresno St. De’Shawn Rucker, USF |
| S | Brylan Green, Liberty Daylan Carnell, Missouri Kapena Gushiken, Ole Miss Clayton Powell-Lee, Georgia Tech Jalen Stroman, Notre Dame |
Eli Blakey, Miami (OH) Nick Andersen, Wake Forest Skyler Thomas, Oregon St. Silas Walters, Miami (OH) Lardarius Webb Jr., Wake Forest |
Special teams players for kickoff and punts
| Role | Guardians | Warhawks |
|---|---|---|
| Kicker | Nate Reed, Delaware | Kansei Matsuzawa, Hawaii |
| Punter | Cole Maynard, WKU | Wes Pahl, Oklahoma St. |
| Long snapper | Rocco Underwood, Florida | John Ferlmann, Ohio St. |
How the American Bowl supports veterans and active service members
The event partners with veterans organizations, including ZeroMils and Soldiers to Sidelines. These groups help service members transition to civilian careers.
Players and military participants benefit from networking and career workshops organized alongside on‑field activities.
Useful links and other college football resources
- Latest college football news and analysis
- College football schedules and live scores
- Weekly Top 25 rankings and polls
- Guides on betting and fantasy college football
