Thanks to a group of Big Ten student sections, including Penn State’s own Legion of Blue, it looks like students can now request free access to Big Ten Network Plus — the conference’s own streaming service.

BTN+ was once accessible to only subscribers, but now, any Big Ten student can apply for a free account.

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The temporary subscription lasts for five months. In the fall, the service will determine a permanent solution that grants access for as long as you’re a student at Penn State.

On January 4, Northwestern’s student section, the Northwestern Wildside, formally asked the Big Ten Network to consider offering free BTN+ subscriptions to the conference’s students. The letter suggested that due to COVID-19 and its effect, many students couldn’t attend in-person sporting events, preventing them from properly engaging with their favorite teams.

Nearly a dozen other Big Ten student section organizations signed the letter, including the Legion of Blue, asking this of the Big Ten Network. Two weeks later, the Big Ten Network responded and accepted the terms suggested by the student organizations.

Props to everyone involved in making this happen ? Nothing better than students coming together and making an impact

@NUWildside @BuckeyeNutHouse @MaizeRageUM @AreaRED @HuskerRedZone @iowahawksnest @TheOrangeKrush @RURiotSquad @UMDThePride @ThePaintCrew @ThisistheIZZONE https://t.co/jwd6S355QL

— Legion of Blue (@LegionofBluePSU) January 5, 2022

Penn State men’s basketball and the Legion of Blue will travel to take on Iowa on Saturday, January 22. Students can stream the game from BTN+ after creating a free account here.

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