10 ways your Echo can help you prep for football season

Football is back and fans across the country are sporting their favorite player jerseys and cheering on their top teams. There are a number of ways to get ready for kick-off—prepping the delicious tailgate food and upgrading to a big-screen TV to name a few—but did you know that your Amazon Echo can help you do even more to celebrate the return of football season?

Whether you have the ever-popular Echo Dot or the screen-enabled Echo Show, there are plenty of ways that the Alexa-enabled speakers can help you out this season. Planning a watch party and need to find out when the game is on? Or maybe you want to check the latest stats on your hometown team? It’s easy to check on all of these topics with the help of Alexa. Here are 10 Alexa skills to help you get ready for football season.

1. Check the score of the game

In an ideal world, you’d be parked in front of the TV for the entire game, but sometimes you need to get up for a quick snack or to refresh your drink. Don’t worry about falling behind on the score of the game when you’re busy. You can easily find out the score of the game by asking, “Alexa, what’s the score of the New York Giants game?” Alexa has access to football scores from teams in the NFL, as well as NCAA college teams, so rest assured she’s got your team covered.

2. Play a round of football trivia

Think you know it all? Show off your knowledge of all things college football at your next game day event by enabling the “College Football Trivia” skill. To begin a round, say, "Alexa, ask Football Trivia to kickoff." Here's how it works: The game will ask a college football-related question, and for every question you get right, you get a touchdown. Try to answer as many questions correctly as you can to score the most touchdowns.

Pro football fans can also get in on the fun by enabling the “NFL Trivia” skill. To begin, say, "Alexa, open NFL Trivia." The game includes questions such as “Can you name the winner of Super Bowl XXXV?” and “How about which team has won the most consecutive road games at 18?” Stumped by a question? Ask Alexa for a hint by saying, "Alexa, ask NFL Trivia for help tips." Good luck!

3. Find out when the next game is

Football season typically starts in late August and wraps up in early February when the Super Bowl takes place. Whether you’re cheering on one or multiple teams, Alexa makes it easy to stay on top of upcoming games. To check the schedule of your favorite team, say, “Alexa, when do the Jacksonville Jaguars play next?” Now that you know the date, time, and who your team is playing against, you also might want to ask Alexa to set a reminder before kickoff so you don’t miss a minute of play. This can be accomplished by asking, “Alexa, remind me on Sunday at 2 p.m. to watch the Jaguars game.”

4. Monitor your Fantasy Football team

For some fans, Fantasy Football is just as competitive as the real thing, and Alexa is here to help you make sure your lineup is ready to go come game time. Access player updates, roster injuries, and an overview of your team’s weekly matchup and score by enabling the “Yahoo Fantasy Football” skill. Another cool feature? Alexa will show you your player forecast video for the upcoming week on video-enabled Echo devices like the Echo Show and Echo Show 5. To get started, say, "Alexa, ask Yahoo Fantasy Football about my matchup.” Oh, and if you’re competing in multiple leagues, Alexa can help with that, too. Just say, “change league.”

5. Listen to the latest college football rankings

Each week during football season, the Associated Press releases the top 25 best teams in college football. The rankings are determined by votes from sportscasters and sportswriters from around the country, and many fans are eager to see where their best team stands. To find out what the latest poll says, you’ll need to enable the “College Football AP Top 25 Rankings” skill. Ready to see if your team made the cut? Say, “Alexa, ask College Football Top Rankings to give me the rankings.”

6. Keep track of your favorite team

Life gets busy, but with the help of Alexa, it’s easier than ever to stay up-to-date on the latest happenings about your preferred team. In the Alexa app on your iOS or Android device, navigate to “Settings,” scroll down and tap “Sports” to add your preferred sports team (or teams). Thanks to this skill, you can ask, “Alexa, what’s my sports update?” to get the latest news and information on the team or teams you’ve added.

7. Hear the most recent NFL updates

Busy prepping the spread of delicious eats for your game-day party? Catch up on all the pro football news you missed by enabling the “NFL in :60” skill on your Echo. This skill gives you the latest news updates and stories from the league. Ready to get your daily football digest? Say, “Alexa, what’s my Flash Briefing?” or “Alexa, what’s the news?”

8. Get the game day forecast

There’s nothing worse than attending an outdoor sporting event when you haven’t properly prepared for the weather. You may want to put on sunscreen if the UV index is going to be high or a poncho if rain is expected. Before you head out the door, say, “Alexa, what’s the weather today?”

9. Find out who the favored team is

Wondering which team has the best odds to win a certain game? Alexa can answer that for you. To find out who is favored to win, say, "Alexa, what are the odds in tonight's Arizona Cardinals game?" However, it’s best to wait until game day to ask Alexa what the odds are since she won’t know too far in advance.

10. Learn more about the game

Maybe you’re a new football fan or are looking to take a deep dive into how the sport is played. Check out “The Rookies Guide to the NFL” skill, which will teach you everything you need to know about the game. To open the skill, say, "Alexa, launch NFL," and you'll be able to ask other things like "What's the difference between a running back and a wide receiver?" and "What is defensive pass interference?" You’ll be an expert in no time.

Looking for more sports skills? Head over to the Alexa Skills Sports section to discover other ways your Echo can help you gear up for game day.