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From college basketball to NFL: See full list of games happening Christmas weekend

Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal
·6 min read

Christmas gift exchanges, the arrival of Santa, holiday foods and gatherings — all are traditions we see every year around this time.

But let's not forget about the tradition for gathering around the TV to watch our favorite sports during holidays. From college basketball and football bowl games to the NFL and high school sports, there's a lot going on.

We compiled a list of all the games you might want to keep track of this week and through the weekend. Check out everything going on this holiday weekend below.

College basketball games to watch

U of L basketball warms up ahead of their matchup with Pepperdine at the Yum Center in Louisville, Ky. on Dec. 17, 2023.
U of L basketball warms up ahead of their matchup with Pepperdine at the Yum Center in Louisville, Ky. on Dec. 17, 2023.

College basketball season is in full swing now and there's plenty of games happening starting Thursday, including the UK vs Louisville game.

Here's a list of men's college basketball games happening (Kentucky schools in bold):

Thursday, Dec. 21

  • Louisville vs Kentucky - 6 p.m.

  • Tennessee vs Tarleton State - 6:30 p.m.

  • Jacksonville vs Purdue - 6:30 p.m.

  • Texas State vs Houston - 8 p.m.

  • Stonehill vs Miami FL - 8 p.m.

How to watch Kentucky vs. Louisville basketball game

  • When: 6 p.m. Thursday

  • Where: KFC Yum! Center

  • TV:ESPN

  • Radio: Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst) will have the call for Louisville on the Cardinal Sports Network (WLCL 93.9 FM and WGTK 970 AM in Louisville). It also can be accessed online via GoCards.com.

Louisville vs. Kentucky basketball: Previewing ACC/SEC rivalry matchup at KFC Yum! Center

Friday, Dec. 22

  • James Madison vs Morgan State - 1 p.m.

  • Texas A&M-CC vs Texas - 3 p.m.

  • Queens NC vs Clemson - 6 p.m.

  • MS Valley vs Baylor - 7 p.m.

  • Georgetown vs Marquette - 7 p.m.

  • Chicago State vs Wisconsin - 8 p.m.

  • Yale vs Kansas - 8 p.m.

  • Bellarmine vs BYU - 9 p.m.

  • Illinois vs Missouri - 9 p.m.

  • CO State vs LMU - 10 p.m.

How to watch Bellarmine vs BYU basketball game

  • When: 9 p.m. Friday

  • Where: J. Willard Marriott Center

  • TV: ESPN+

  • Live Stream: ESPN+

Saturday, Dec. 23

  • FL Atlantic vs Arizona - 3 p.m.

  • St. John's vs UConn - 8 p.m.

Here's the schedule for women's college basketball as well:

Wednesday, Dec. 20

  • Providence vs Baylor - 3:30 p.m.

  • UC Davis vis Standford - 4 p.m.

  • Gonzaga vs Arizona - 4:30 p.m.

  • Alabama State vs Florida State - 6 p.m.

  • LSU vs Coppin State - 6 p.m.

  • UConn vs TMU - 6 p.m.

  • NC State vs Old Dominion - 6:30 p.m.

  • Washington vs Louisville - 6:30 p.m.

  • Omaha vs TCU - 7:30 p.m.

  • UTGV vs Texas - 7 p.m.

  • Southern U vs Kansas State - 7:30 p.m.

How to watch Washington vs Louisville basketball game

  • When: Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 7:00 PM ET

  • Where: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky

  • TV: ACC Network

  • Live Stream: Fubo

Thursday, Dec. 21

  • Bucknell vs Marquette - 1 p.m.

  • Northern CO vs Colorado - 2 p.m.

  • Weber State vs Utah - 2 p.m.

  • W&M vs Virginia Tech - 2 p.m.

  • Southern Florida vs Baylor - 3:30 p.m.

  • Hawaii vs UCLA - 4 p.m.

  • USC vs Long Beach St. - 5 p.m.

  • Loyola IL vs Iowa - 6 p.m.

  • Western MI vs Notre Dame - 6 p.m.

  • SD State vs Creighton - 7 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 22

  • Belmont vs Ohio State - 1 p.m.

  • New Mexico vs Gonzaga - 4 p.m.

  • Bowling Green vs Indiana - 6 p.m.

  • Mt St Mary's vs TCU - 7:30 p.m.

College football games to watch

Louisville’s Gilbert Frierson points to the crowd showing it’s their possession after sacking the kicker against FSU in the AAC Football Championship game. Dec. 2, 2023
Louisville’s Gilbert Frierson points to the crowd showing it’s their possession after sacking the kicker against FSU in the AAC Football Championship game. Dec. 2, 2023

Louisville plays USC during the Holiday Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 27, and Kentucky plays Clemson for the Gator Bowl on Friday, Dec. 29 — well after Christmas celebrations are finished.

However, there are plenty of other bowl games happening this week. Here's a list of college football games happening — starting with Thursday.

Thursday, Dec. 21

  • Boca Raton Bowl: South Florida vs Syracuse - 8 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 22

  • Gasparilla Bowl: Georgia Tech vs UCF - 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 23

  • Camellia Bowl: Arkansas State vs Northern IL - 12 p.m.

  • Birmingham Bowl: Troy vs Duke - 12 p.m.

  • Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Georgia State vs Utah State - 3:30 p.m.

  • Armed Forces Bowl: James Madison vs Air Force - 3:30 p.m.

  • LendingTree Bowl: South Alabama vs Eastern Michigan - 7 p.m.

  • Las Vegas Bowl: Utah vs Northwestern - 7:30 p.m.

  • Hawaii Bowl: Coastal Carolina vs San Jose State - 10:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 26

  • Quick Lane Bowl: Bowling Green vs Minnesota - 2 p.m.

  • First Responder Bowl: Texas State vs Rice - 5:30 p.m.

  • Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Kansas vs UNLV - 9 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 27

  • Virginia Tech vs Tulane - 2 p.m.

  • UNC vs West Virginia - 5:30 p.m.

  • Louisville vs USC - 8 p.m.

  • Texas A&M vs Oklahoma St - 9 p.m.

How to watch Louisville vs. USC in Holiday Bowl 

  • When: 8 p.m. EST Wednesday, Dec. 27

  • Where: Petco Park; San Diego, California

  • TV: FOX

  • Radio: Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Craig Swabek (analyst) will call the game on Louisville Radio Network (93.9 FM and 970 AM).   

  • Streaming: Qualified subscribers can livestream the game via FOX Sports. To stream for free, click on the following links for either fuboTV (FREE TRIAL) or YouTube TV (FREE TRIAL).

NFL games to watch

It wouldn't be Christmas Eve and Christmas Day without pro football games in the background (or forefront) of family and friend gatherings.

Here's a look at the NFL week 16 schedule (all times are ET):

Thursday, Dec. 21

  • Saints vs Rams - 8:15 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 23

Sunday, Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve)

  • Commanders vs Jets - 1 p.m.

  • Lions vs Vikings - 1 p.m.

  • Browns vs Texas - 1 p.m.

  • Packers vs Panthers - 1 p.m.

  • Seahawks vs Titans - 1 p.m.

  • Colts vs Falcons - 1 p.m.

  • Jaguars vs Buccaneers - 4:05 p.m.

  • Cowboys vs Dolphins - 4:25 p.m.

  • Cardinals vs Bears - 4:25 p.m.

  • Patriots vs Broncos - 8:15 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 25 (Christmas Day)

  • Raiders vs Chiefs - 1 p.m.

  • Giants vs Eagles - 4:30 p.m.

  • Ravens vs 49ers - 8:15 p.m.

Kentucky high school basketball games to watch

Warren Central celebrates the fact that they won King of the Bluegrass. Dec. 20
Warren Central celebrates the fact that they won King of the Bluegrass. Dec. 20

Here’s a look at some of the top Christmas tournaments to see in Kentucky this season:

Starting Tuesday, Dec. 19

  • Chad Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass - Championship game on Dec. 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Starting Wednesday, Dec. 27

  • White, Greer and Maggard Holiday Classic - Championship game on Dec. 30 at 5 p.m.

  • City of Middletown Classic - Championship game on Dec. 29 at 6 p.m.

Starting Thursday, December 28

  • Mason County Invitation Tournament - Championship game on Dec. 30 at 4 p.m.

  • Ashland Invitational Tournament - Championship game on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m.

For more information on Kentucky high school basketball Christmas tournaments, including girls basketball tournaments, see our full list.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: List of basketball, football games scheduled Christmas weekend