Plenty of TV fare for sports fans to devour Thanksgiving. Here's the schedule:
Television is actually the best side dish for sports fans enjoying their Thanksgiving weekend.
And like the delicious leftovers from that Thursday feast, it lasts all weekend.
Spending time in front of the television devouring sports is as much a Thanksgiving tradition as sitting around the dinner table. The servings keep coming through the traditional lunch and dinnertime hours and into the night.
The NFL is responsible for that, with its triple-header of 12:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. Thanksgiving Day games. But the NFL has also added a Friday game this year knowing fans' appetite for holiday football fare.
Philadelphia Eagles fans will have to wait until Sunday for their 4:25 p.m. encounter with Buffalo on CBS. But all of the Thanksgiving offerings are divisional games that'll spice up the competition.
The first-place Detroit Lions, in their quest for a rare NFC North title, must get past the Green Bay Packers in the 12:30 p.m. game at Ford Field on FOX. It'll be the 23rd time, more than any other foes, these two have met on Thanksgiving. The Lions hosted their first Thanksgiving game in 1934 and have done so annually since 1945.
At 4:30 on CBS, the Dallas Cowboys bid to overtake the Eagles in the NFC EAST will require a win over the Washington Commanders at AT&T Field.
This one will stir memories as FOX is certain to show highlights from the famous 1974 Thanksgiving game when unheralded back-up Clint Longley stepped in for the injured Roger Staubach with Dallas training 16–3 and sparked the Cowboys to a thrilling 24–23 win.
It's actually the 11th Thanksgiving matchup between these rivals and Dallas has won eight. The Cowboys hosted their first Thanksgiving Day game in 1966 and have done so annually since 1978.
The NFL's evening offering, which unlike the previous two is at different sites each year, brings a third NFC divisional duel as San Francisco visits Seattle in a West encounter. This is the first time since 2018 there have been three divisional matchups on Thanksgiving.
College football gets into the act Thursday night with the first of many rivalry games as Mississippi is at Mississippi State (7:30 p.m. on ESPN). And while college football takes over TV screens Friday and Saturday, there is one new NFL offering.
Amazon Prime will stream the NFL's first Black Friday game. It's at 3 p.m. and another divisional tussle as the Dolphins visit their AFC East rival Jets at MetLife Stadium. The Jets have reportedly expressed a desire to perhaps host this game annually, like Detroit and Dallas on Thanksgiving.
College football then dominates the airwaves Friday and Saturday.
Among the Friday games are Penn State at Michigan State at 7:30 p.m. on NBC and Oregon against Oregon State in a rivalry known as the Civil War at 8:30 p.m. on FOX. However, the Ducks and Beavers, who first met in 1894, are not scheduled to play next year due to Oregon's move to the Big Ten.
Saturday's busy college football slate kicks off with perhaps the nation's biggest rivalry game, and certainly most important, as national title contenders Ohio State and Michigan play at noon in Ann Arbor on FOX.
THURSDAY
NFL
12:30 p.m. — Green Bay at Detroit, FOX
4:30 p.m. — Washington at Dallas, CBS
8:20 p.m. — San Francisco at Seattle, NBC
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
7:30 p.m. — Ole Miss at Mississippi State, ESPN
MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Noon — ESPN Events Invitational: Penn State vs. Texas A&M, Quarterfinal, ESPN
Noon — Battle 4 Atlantis: North Carolina/Northern Iowa winner vs. Villanova/Texas Tech winner, Semifinal, at Paradise Island, Bahamas, ESPN
1:30 p.m. — Hall of Fame Classic: Boston College/Colorado State loser vs. Creighton/Loyola Chicago loser, Consolation, at Kansas City, CBSSN
2:30 p.m. — Battle 4 Atlantis: Michigan/Memphis winner vs. Arkansas/Stanford winner, Semifinal, at Paradise Island, Bahamas, ESPN
2:30 p.m. — ESPN Events Invitational: FAU vs. Butler, Quarterfinal, ESPN2
3 p.m. — Rady Children’s Invitational: Oklahoma vs. Iowa, Semifinal, FS1
4 p.m. — Acrisure Classic: Arizona vs. Michigan State, FOX
4 p.m. — Hall of Fame Classic: Boston College/Colorado State winner vs. Creighton/Loyola Chicago winner, Championship, at Kansas City, CBSSN
5 p.m. — Battle 4 Atlantis: North Carolina/Northern Iowa loser vs. Villanova/Texas Tech loser, Consolation Semifinal, at Paradise Island, Bahamas, ESPN2
5:30 p.m. — ESPN Events Invitational: Iowa St. vs. VCU, Quarterfinal, ESPN2
5:30 p.m. — Rady Children’s Invitational: Seton Hall vs. USC, Semifinal, FS1
7:30 p.m. — Battle 4 Atlantis: Michigan/Memphis loser vs. Arkansas/Stanford loser, Consolation Semifinal, at Paradise Island, Bahamas, ESPNU
8 p.m. — ESPN Events Invitational: Boise St. vs. Virginia Tech, Quarterfinal, ESPN2
10 p.m. — Vegas Showdown: NC State vs. Vanderbilt, Semifinal, ESPN2
12:30 a.m. (Fri.) — Vegas Showdown: BYU vs. Arizona St., Semifinal, ESPN2
WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
6 p.m. — Tennessee vs. Indiana, FOX
GOLF
5 a.m. — DP World Tour: The Joburg Open, GOLF
9:30 p.m. — DP World Tour: The Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, GOLF
5 a.m. (Fri.) — DP World Tour: The Joburg Open, GOLF
AUTO RACING
2:30 a.m. (Fri.) — FIM World Supercross: Championship, FS1
4:25 a.m. (Fri.) — Formula 1: Practice, ESPNU
FRIDAY
NFL
3 p.m. — Miami at New York Jets, Prime Video
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Noon — TCU at Oklahoma, FOX
Noon — Iowa at Nebraska, CBS
Noon — Miami at Boston College, CBS
Noon — Memphis at Temple, ESPN
Noon — Ohio at Akron, CBSSN or ESPNU
Noon — Toledo at Cent. Michigan, CBSSN or ESPNU
3:30 p.m. — UTSA at Tulane, ABC
3:30 p.m. — Utah State at New Mexico, CBSSN
4 p.m. — Missouri at Arkansas, CBS
4 p.m. — Air Force at Boise State, FS1
7:30 p.m. — Texas Tech at Texas, ABC
7:30 p.m. — Penn State at Michigan State, NBC
8:30 p.m. — Oregon State at Oregon, FOX
NBA
2:30 p.m. — Boston at Orlando, NBA TV
5 p.m. — Phoenix at Memphis, NBA TV
7:30 p.m. — Miami at New York Knicks, ESPN/MSG
10 p.m. — San Antonio at Golden State, ESPN
MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
1 p.m. — Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis: Third/Fourth Place, at Paradise Island, Bahamas, ESPN2
1:30 p.m. — Delaware vs. Brown, Baha Mar Nassau Championship, Bahamas, WDSD 94.7
3:30 p.m. — Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis: Championship, at Paradise Island, Bahamas, ESPN
6 p.m. — Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis: Fifth/Sixth Place, at Paradise Island, Bahamas, ESPNU
TBD — Seton Hall vs. Oklahoma or Iowa, at San Diego, FOX/FS1
NHL
1 p.m. — New York Rangers at Philadelphia, MSG
3 p.m. — Columbus at New Jersey, MSGSN
6 p.m. — Pittsburgh at Buffalo, TNT
7:30 p.m. — New York Islanders at Ottawa, MSGSN
8:30 p.m. — Colorado at Minnesota, TNT
AUTO RACING
4:25 a.m. — Formula 1: Practice, ESPNU
7:55 a.m. — Formula 1: Practice, ESPNU
5:25 a.m. (Sat.) — Formula 1: Practice, ESPN2
GOLF
5 a.m. — DP World Tour: The Joburg Open, GOLF
9:30 p.m. — DP World Tour: The Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, GOLF
5 a.m. (Sat.) — DP World Tour: The Joburg Open, GOLF
SOCCER
6:50 a.m. (Sat.) — FIFA U-17 World Cup Group Stage: Quarterfinal, FS1
SATURDAY
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Noon — Ohio State at Michigan, FOX
Noon — Teams TBA, ABC
Noon — Teams TBA, Big Ten Network
Noon — Texas A&M at LSU, ESPN
Noon — Navy at SMU, ESPN2
Noon — Troy at Southern Miss, ESPNU
Noon — Teams TBA, FS1
2 p.m. — Lafayette at Delaware, WDSD 94.7; WVUD 91.3
2 p.m. — Wake Forest at Syracuse, CW
2 p.m. — Grambling vs. Southern, NBC
3:30 p.m. — Teams TBA, ABC
3:30 p.m. — Teams TBA, Big Ten Network
3:30 p.m. — Alabama at Auburn, CBS
3:30 p.m. — Liberty at UTEP, CBSSN
3:30 p.m. — Georgia Southern at Appalachian St., CBSSN
3:30 p.m. — Teams TBA, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU
3:30 p.m. — Wisconsin at Minnesota, FS1
3:30 p.m. — Vanderbilt at Tennessee, SEC Network
4 p.m. — Washington St. at Washington, FOX
7 p.m. — Florida State at Florida, ESPN
7 p.m. — Teams TBA, ESPN2, FS1
7 p.m. — S. Alabama at Texas St., NFL Network
7 p.m. — Notre Dame at Stanford, Pac-12 Network
7:30 p.m. — Georgia at Georgia Tech, ABC
7:30 p.m. — Charlotte at Sout Florida, ESPNU
7:30 p.m. — Clemson at South Carolina, SEC Network
8 p.m. — Teams TBA, FOX
9 p.m. — Wyoming at Nevada, CBSSN
10:30 p.m. — California at UCLA, ESPN
10:30 p.m. C Fresno St. at San Diego St., FS1
MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TBA C Delaware vs. UNC-Greensboro or Kansas City, Baha Mar Nassau Championship, Bahamas, WDSD 94.7
NBA
5 p.m. — Philadelphia at Oklahoma City, 97.5 FM/NBC Sports Philadelphia
6 p.m. — Miami at Brooklyn, YES
10:30 p.m. — Dallas at LA Clippers, NBA TV
NHL
7:30 p.m. — Philadelphia at New York Islanders, NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA –
MLS
8 p.m. — Philadelphia at Cincinnati (Eastern Conference semifinals), APPLE TV
SUNDAY
MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TBA — Delaware vs. George Washington, Middle Tennessee, Ohio or Illinois-Chicago, Baha Mar Nassau Championship, Bahamas, WDSD 94.7
NFL
1 p.m. — New England at New York Giants, FOX
1 p.m. — Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, CBS
4 p.m. — Cleveland at Denver, FOX
4 p.m. — Los Angeles Rams at Arizona, FOX
4:25 p.m. — Buffalo at Philadelphia, CBS
8:20 p.m. — Baltimore at Los Angeles Chargers, NBC
NBA
6 p.m. — Phoenix at New York Knicks, MSG
7:30 p.m. — Chicago at Brooklyn Nets, YES
WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Noon — Villanova-Wake Forest, ACC Network
GOLF
4 a.m. — DP World Tour: The Joburg Open, GOLF
HORSE RACING
11:30 a.m. — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races, FS1
SOCCER
9 a.m. — Premier League: Aston Villa vs. Tottenham Hotspur, USA
11:30 a.m. — Premier League: Manchester United vs. Everton, USA
12:25 p.m. — LaLiga: Real Madrid vs. Cadiz, ABC
AUTO RACING
7:55 a.m. — Formula 1: The Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, ESPN2
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Sports fans feast on TV during Thanksgiving weekend
