No. 17 SMU gets an Atlantic Coast Conference prequel when it plays Boston College in the Fenway Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 28. The game will be live streamed on DirecTV Stream (free trial) and fuboTV (free trial and $20 off the first two months).

After winning the American Athletic Conference championship in their final season there, the Mustangs get a head start on their ACC membership when they face BC at the home of the Boston Red Sox in a preview of a new league rivalry set to begin next season.

Conference realignment has shaken up college football, and perhaps nowhere is the shuffling weirder than in SMU’s jump to the ACC. The decidedly not Atlantic coast Dallas school is joining along with California and Stanford to create a — for now — 17-team league beginning in 2024. (To garner the invite, SMU agreed to give up its share of the ACC’s television revenues for years.)

No one is suggesting that the Mustangs (11-2) won’t be able to compete when they step up to the Power Five.

SMU has won nine straight games, including a 26-14 victory over then 17th-ranked Tulane in the AAC title game to reach a bowl game for the second time in as many seasons under Lashlee. A 12th victory would be the most since the 1935 team won the national championship.

The Mustangs were hoping for a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl game. But with starting quarterback Preston Stone out — he broke his leg in the Nov. 25 regular-season finale against Navy — they were relegated to the Fenway Bowl against BC, the 10th-best team in the ACC.

When is SMU-Boston College?

Boston College and SMU play at 10 a.m. (11 a.m. ET) on Thursday, Dec. 28.

Will it be live streamed?

DirecTV Stream

DirecTV Stream offers a free trial.

There are four options of DirecTV Stream:

The Entertainment Package, which consists of 65+ channels, is $54.99 until the promotion runs out April 30. It’s the basic package for can’t-miss entertainment – including ESPN, TNT, Nickelodeon and HGTV.

The Choice Package has more than 90 channels and is $74.99 during the promotion. The channels in ENTERTAINMENT, plus MLB Network, NBA TV, college sports networks, and more. Enjoy Regional Sports Networks with no additional fees.

The Ultimate Package has more than 130 channels and is $89.99 during the promotion. Everything in CHOICE, plus Oxygen, Golf Channel, NHL Network, Universal Kids and more.

The Premier Package has more than 140 channels and is $134.99 during the promotion. Everything in ULTIMATE, plus HBO Max, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax and more.

DirecTV Stream offers a free trial that doesn’t require much effort.

To sign up, enter a phone number, email address and credit card, and you’ll receive five days of the service without charge.

In addition, enhance your experience with the DirecTV Stream device. While it doesn’t include a free trial, it give you access to thousands of apps like Netflix and more on Google Play. You can search using the voice remote with Google Assistant, and you can enjoy a traditional live TV channel guide. It is sold separately.

FuboTV

The game will be live streamed on fuboTV, which offers a free trial. The most basic of plans is the “fubo pro” package, which comprises 146-plus channels for $74.99 per month. Like all cord-cutting alternatives, there are plenty of options, especially for sports. It comes with more than 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR, and up to 10 screens at once.

There is also the “fubo elite” package, which comprises 205-plus channels for $84.99 per month. It comes with fuboExtra (48 more channels) and News Plus (11 more channels). Plus, more than 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR, and up to 10 screens at once.

The “fubo premiere” package is “fubo elite” with the addition of Showtime for $94.99 per month.

Will it be televised?

SMU and Boston College will be broadcast on ESPN.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.