We contend that Thanksgiving is the top fall holiday for several reasons: You get good company, better eating, and a reason to sit down and watch football all weekend.
This year’s Thanksgiving football lineup is filled with excellent matchups that’ll take you from dinner preparation to Black Friday shopping. Whether you’re an NFL or college football fan, here’s what you need to know about the Thanksgiving college football and NFL game slate.
NFL Thanksgiving games
This year’s Thanksgiving NFL games feature a full slate of great matchups across the league.
The NFL Thanksgiving lineup opens with the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears. The midday matchup will feature the Dallas Cowboys versus a rebuilding New York Giants squad, while the Thanksgiving Day nightcap will be an NFC West clash between the Dolphins and Seahawks.
If the NFL’s Thanksgiving game schedule wasn’t enough, Amazon has also gotten into the Thanksgiving NFL business. As part of Amazon’s Thursday Night Football deal, Prime Video will have a Black Friday AFC West matchup between the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.
Thanksgiving NFL games schedule
Day | Opponent | Time (ET) | Channels |
---|---|---|---|
Thursday, November 28 | Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions | 12:30 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ |
Thursday, November 28 | New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys | 4:30 p.m. | FOX |
Thursday, November 28 | Miami Dolphins vs. Green Bay Packers | 8:20 p.m. | NBC |
Friday, November 29 | Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs | 3:00 p.m. | Amazon Prime Video |
Data effective as of post date.
College football Thanksgiving games
Annual rivalries like the Egg Bowl, Nebraska vs. Iowa, and Georgia Tech vs. Georgia will anchor this year’s college football Thanksgiving Day lineup. Black Friday features a full day of college football games, while Memphis vs. Tulane will be the sole Thanksgiving Day college football game.
College football Thanksgiving schedule
Day | Opponent | Time (ET) | Channels |
---|---|---|---|
Tuesday, November 26 | Toledo vs. Akron | 7:00 p.m. | TBD |
Tuesday, November 26 | Kent State vs. Buffalo | 7:00 p.m. | TBD |
Thursday, November 28 | Memphis vs. Tulane | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Friday, November 29 | Iowa vs. Nebraska | TBD | NBC |
Friday, November 29 | Miami (OH) vs. Bowling Green | TBD | TBD |
Friday, November 29 | Miami vs. Boston College | TBD | TBD |
Friday, November 29 | Oklahoma State vs. Colorado | 12:00 p.m. | ABC |
Friday, November 29 | Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
Friday, November 29 | Liberty vs. Sam Houston | 3:30 p.m. | CBS Sports Network |
Friday, November 29 | Texas State vs. South Alabama | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+ |
Friday, November 29 | Georgia Tech vs. Georgia | 7:30 p.m. | ABC |
Friday, November 29 | Utah vs. UCF | 8:00 p.m. | FOX |
Data effective as of post date.
How to watch NFL and college football games on Thanksgiving for free
‡CableTV.com utilizes paid Amazon links. Amazon.com Price; $39.99 (as of 6/24/24 9:30 a.m. CT). Read full disclaimer.
The NFL Thanksgiving Day games are all shared between FOX, NBC, and CBS, so you have multiple ways to tune in on Thanksgiving Day. All three channels are included on cable and streaming TV plans, so you’re set if you already have a TV setup.
If you want to watch NFL Thanksgiving football for free, we recommend installing an over-the-air (OTA) antenna like the Mohu Leaf on your TV. OTA antennas pull from local broadcast feeds and let you watch major channels like FOX and NBC for free. Streaming TV services like Hulu + Live TV and Fubo have free trial periods if you need to figure out a streaming setup on Thanksgiving Day. Check out our streaming TV trials guide to learn about these free offers.
As for the NFL’s Black Friday game, it’ll be a Prime Video exclusive, but you won’t need an active Amazon Prime membership to watch the game. Amazon will broadcast the game for free, and you’ll just need an Amazon account to watch it. Visit our Amazon Prime Video review to find out more.
FOX, NBC, CBS, and ABC will get multiple college football Thanksgiving games, and you can watch them for free with an OTA antenna or standard TV plan. You can also watch Thanksgiving college football games with a streaming TV service, and many streaming providers like Fubo offer free trials.
How to watch football on Thanksgiving FAQ
What NFL teams play on Thanksgiving?
This year, the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins, and New York Jets will play on Thanksgiving.
What college football games are on Thanksgiving?
Ole Miss and Mississippi State will play on Thanksgiving Day. Black Friday will feature 11 football games, including Iowa vs. Nebraska, Texas Tech vs. Texas, and Oregon State vs. Oregon.
What time is the NFL Thanksgiving game?
The NFL’s Thanksgiving games start at 12:30 p.m. ET with Packers vs. Lions. Washington vs. Dallas is at 4:30 p.m. ET, and the schedule wraps up with 49ers vs. Seahawks at 8:20 p.m. ET. Prime Video will also have Dolphins vs. Jets on Black Friday, and kickoff is at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Methodology
We analyzed this year’s Thanksgiving college football and NFL schedule to figure out this year’s top matchups. We also drew from our cord-cutter and streaming deal coverage to find the best college football and NFL watch solutions for your home.
Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.
Disclaimer
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
‡Amazon.com price as of 6/24/24 9:30 a.m. CT. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. CableTV.com utilizes paid Amazon links.
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