Television is actually the best side dish for sports fans enjoying Thanksgiving weekend.
And just like the delicious leftovers from Thursday’s feast, it lasts all weekend.
Spending time in front of the TV playing sports is as much a Thanksgiving tradition as sitting around the dinner table. Food continues to be served during the traditional lunch and dinner hours and into the evening.
The NFL is taking care of that by holding Thanksgiving Day games in a tripleheader at 12:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. But the NFL also added Friday games this year, given fan demand for holiday football fare.
Philadelphia Eagles fans will have to wait until Sunday to play against Buffalo on CBS at 4:25 p.m. But all that Thanksgiving has to offer are divisional games that add to the competition.
For a rare NFC North title, the first-place Detroit Lions must defeat the Green Bay Packers in a 12:30 p.m. game at Ford Field on FOX. This will be the 23rd time these two have faced each other on Thanksgiving, more than any other opponent. The Lions hosted his first Thanksgiving game in 1934 and have held it annually since 1945.
The Dallas Cowboys must beat the Washington Commanders at AT&T Field to beat the Eagles in NFC EAST, starting at 4:30 p.m. on CBS.
This match will bring back memories. FOX reports that unheralded helper Clint Longley replaced an injured Roger Staubach practicing in Dallas in 1974, leading the Cowboys to a thrilling 24-23 victory. It’s certain to air highlights from 2019’s famous Thanksgiving Day game.
This is actually the 11th Thanksgiving Day meeting between these rivals, with Dallas winning eight. The Cowboys hosted their first Thanksgiving game in 1966 and have held it every year since 1978.
The NFL night game, which unlike the previous two, is held at a different venue each year, will be the third NFC divisional game as San Francisco visits Seattle to take on the West. This is the first time since 2018 that games in all three divisions will be played on Thanksgiving.
College football opens Thursday night with the first of many rivalry games between Mississippi State and Mississippi State (7:30 p.m. on ESPN). While college football dominates television screens on Fridays and Saturdays, the NFL has one new thing to offer.
Amazon Prime will stream the NFL’s first Black Friday game. At 3:00 p.m., divisional contention begins again as the Dolphins visit their AFC East rival, the Jets, at MetLife Stadium. The Jets have reportedly expressed his desire to host this game, perhaps every year, like Detroit and Dallas do on Thanksgiving.
College football then dominates the broadcast on Fridays and Saturdays.
Among Friday’s games are Penn State vs. Michigan State at 7:30 p.m. on NBC and Oregon vs. Oregon State in a rivalry known as the Civil War at 8:30 p.m. on FOX. It will be broadcast. However, the Ducks and Beavers, who first met in 1894, are not scheduled to play next year because Oregon State has moved to the Big Ten.
Saturday’s busy college football game begins with perhaps the nation’s biggest rivalry game, and arguably the most important, as national title contenders Ohio State and Michigan play at noon in Ann Arbor on FOX.
Thursday
NFL
12:30pm — Green Bay, Detroit, FOX
4:30pm — Washington, Dallas, CBS
8:20pm — San Francisco, Seattle, NBC
college football
7:30 PM — Mississippi State Ole Miss, ESPN
men’s college basketball
noon — ESPN Event Invite: Penn State vs. Texas A&M, Quarterfinals, ESPN
noon — Battle 4 Atlantis: North Carolina/Northern Iowa Winner vs. Villanova/Texas Tech Winner, Semifinals, Paradise Island, Bahamas, ESPN
1:30pm — Hall of Fame Classic: Boston College/Colorado State Loser vs. Creighton/Loyola Chicago Loser, Consolation, Kansas City, CBSSN
2:30pm — Battle 4 Atlantis: Michigan/Memphis Winner vs. Arkansas/Stanford Winner, Semifinals, Paradise Island, Bahamas, ESPN
2:30pm — ESPN Event Invite: FAU vs. Butler, Quarterfinals, ESPN2
3 pm — Lady Children’s Invitational: Oklahoma vs. Iowa, Semifinals, FS1
4pm — Acresure Classic: Arizona vs. Michigan State, FOX
4pm — Hall of Fame Classic: Boston College/Colorado State Winner vs. Creighton/Loyola Chicago Winner, Championship, Kansas City, CBSSN
5pm — Battle 4 Atlantis: North Carolina/Iowa Northern Losers vs. Villanova/Texas Tech Losers, Repechage Semifinals, Paradise Island, Bahamas, ESPN2
5:30pm — ESPN Event Invitation: Iowa St. vs. VCU, Quarterfinals, ESPN2
5:30pm. — Lady Children’s Invitational: Seton Hall vs. USC, Semifinals, FS1
7:30 PM. — Battle 4 Atlantis: Loser of Michigan/Memphis vs. Loser of Arkansas/Stanford, Repechage Semifinals, Paradise Island, Bahamas, ESPNU
8pm — ESPN Event Invitation: Boise St. vs. Virginia Tech, Quarterfinals, ESPN2
10pm – Las Vegas showdown: North Carolina State vs. Vanderbilt, semifinals, ESPN2
12:30am (Friday)) — Las Vegas showdown: BYU vs. Arizona St., semifinals, ESPN2
women’s college basketball
6 pm — Tennessee vs. Indiana, FOX
golf
5am — DP World Tour: Joburg Open, Golf
9:30pm — DP World Tour: Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, Golf
5am (Friday) — DP World Tour: Joburg Open, Golf
car racing
2:30am (Friday) — FIM World Supercross: Championship, FS1
4:25am (Friday) — Formula 1: Practice, ESPNU
Friday
NFL
3 pm — Miami at New York Jets, Prime Video
college football
noon — Oklahoma State TCU, FOX
noon — Iowa, Nebraska, CBS
noon — Miami, CBS Boston College
noon — Memphis at Temple, ESPN
noon — Akron, Ohio, CBSSN or ESPNU
noon — Toledo, St. Michigan State, CBSSN or ESPNU
3:30pm — UTSA at Tulane, ABC
3:30pm — Utah, New Mexico, CBSSN
4pm — Missouri, Arkansas, CBS
4pm — Boise Air National Guard, FS1
7:30 PM — ABC, Texas Tech University in Texas
7:30 PM — Penn State, Michigan State, NBC
8:30pm — Oregon, FOX
NBA
2:30pm — Boston at Orlando, NBA TV
5pm — Phoenix at Memphis, NBA TV
7:30 PM — Miami vs. New York Knicks, ESPN/MSG
10pm — San Antonio, Golden State, ESPN
men’s college basketball
1pm — Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis: 3/4th Place, Paradise Island, Bahamas, ESPN2
1:30pm — Delaware vs. Brown, Baha Mar Nassau Championship, Bahamas, WDSD 94.7
3:30pm — Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis: Championship, Bahamas, Paradise Island, ESPN
6 pm — Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis: 5th/6th Place, Paradise Island, Bahamas, ESPNU
to be decided — Seton Hall vs. Oklahoma or Iowa, San Diego, FOX/FS1
NHL
1pm — New York Rangers (MSG, Philadelphia)
3 pm — MSGSN, Columbus, New Jersey
6 pm — Pittsburgh at Buffalo, TNT
7:30 PM — New York Islander in Ottawa, MSGSN
8:30pm — TNT, Colorado, Minnesota
car racing
4:25am — Formula 1: Practice, ESPNU
7:55am — Formula 1: Practice, ESPNU
5:25am (Saturday) — Formula 1: Practice, ESPN2
golf
5am — DP World Tour: Joburg Open, Golf
9:30pm — DP World Tour: Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, Golf
5am (Saturday) — DP World Tour: Joburg Open, Golf
soccer
6:50am (Saturday) — FIFA U-17 World Cup Group Stage: Quarterfinals, FS1
Saturday
college football
noon — Ohio State University, Michigan, FOX
noon — Team TBA, ABC
noon — Team TBA, Big Ten Network
noon — Texas A&M, LSU, ESPN
noon — Navy at SMU, ESPN2
noon — Troy from Southern Miss, ESPNU
noon — Team TBA, FS1
2 pm — Lafayette, Delaware, WDSD 94.7. WVUD91.3
2 pm — Wake Forest, Syracuse, CW
2 pm — Grambling vs. Southern, NBC
3:30pm — Team TBA, ABC
3:30pm — Team TBA, Big Ten Network
3:30pm — Alabama at Auburn, CBS
3:30pm — Liberty at UTEP, CBSSN
3:30pm — Georgia Southern, Appalachian Street, CBSSN
3:30pm — Team TBD, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU
3:30pm — FS1, Minnesota, Wisconsin
3:30pm — Vanderbilt, Tennessee, SEC Network
4pm — Washington Street, FOX
7pm — Florida State University, ESPN
7pm — Team TBD, ESPN2, FS1
7pm — S. Alabama, Texas Street, NFL Network
7pm — Notre Dame of Stanford, Pac-12 Network
7:30 PM — Georgia, Georgia Tech, ABC
7:30 PM — ESPNU, Charlotte, South Florida
7:30 PM — Clemson, South Carolina, SEC Network
8pm — Team TBD, FOX
9 pm — Wyoming, Nevada, CBSSN
10:30pm — California, UCLA, ESPN
10:30pm C Fresno Street, San Diego Street, FS1
men’s college basketball
to be decided C Delaware vs. UNC-Greensboro or Kansas City, Baha Mar Nassau Championship, Bahamas, WDSD 94.7
NBA
5pm — Philadelphia, Oklahoma City, 97.5 FM/NBC Sports Philadelphia
6 pm — Brooklyn Miami, yes
10:30pm — Dallas vs. LA Clippers, NBA TV
NHL
7:30 PM — Philadelphia vs. New York Islanders, NBC SPORTS Philadelphia –
MLS
8pm — Philadelphia vs. Cincinnati (Eastern Conference Semifinals), APPLE TV
Sunday
men’s college basketball
to be decided — Delaware vs. George Washington, Middle Tennessee, Ohio, or Illinois – Chicago, Baha Mar Nassau Championship, Bahamas, WDSD 94.7
NFL
1pm — New England at New York Giants, FOX
1pm — Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, CBS
4pm — Cleveland, Denver, FOX
4pm — Los Angeles Rams at Arizona, FOX
4:25pm — Buffalo at Philadelphia, CBS
8:20pm —Baltimore, Los Angeles Chargers, NBC
NBA
6 pm — Phoenix, New York Knicks, MSG
7:30 PM — Brooklyn Nets Chicago, yes
women’s college basketball
noon — Villanova-Wake Forest, ACC Network
golf
4am — DP World Tour: Joburg Open, Golf
horse racing
11:30am — NYRA: American Race Day, FS1
soccer
9am — Premier League: Aston Villa vs. Tottenham Hotspur, USA
11:30am — Premier League: Manchester United vs. Everton, USA
12:25pm — La Liga: Real Madrid vs. Cadiz, ABC
car racing
7:55am — F1: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, ESPN2