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 a rematch between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. In Week 4, the Lions beat the Packers 34–20, and Green Bay will look to avoid the regular season sweep against their NFC North rivals. The midday matchup will feature the Dallas Cowboys versus a developing Commanders squad, while the Thanksgiving Day nightcap will be an NFC West clash between the 49ers 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 matchup between the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.
NFL Thanksgiving schedule
| Day | Opponent | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, November 23 | Green Bay vs. Detroit | 12:30 p.m. | FOX |
| Thursday, November 23 | Washington vs. Dallas | 4:30 p.m. | CBS |
| Thursday, November 23 | San Francisco vs. Seattle | 8:20 p.m. | NBC |
| Friday, November 24 | Miami vs. New York Jets | 3:00 p.m. | Prime Video |
Data effective as of post date.
How to watch NFL games on Thanksgiving
‡CableTV.com utilizes paid Amazon links. Amazon.com Price; $59.99 (as of 10/3/23 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, Dolphins vs. Jets will 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.
Pro tip: Want more football content? Check out our weekly NFL schedule and college football schedule guides for our top picks and football takes.
College football Thanksgiving games
The Egg Bowl anchors this year’s college football Thanksgiving Day lineup as Ole Miss and Mississippi State will go head-to-head. Black Friday features a full day of college football games, ending with the final edition of the Oregon–Oregon State rivalry game.
College football Thanksgiving schedule
| Day | Opponent | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, November 23 | Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Friday, November 24 | TCU vs. Oklahoma | 12:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Friday, November 24 | Miami vs. Boston College | 12:00 p.m. | ABC |
| Friday, November 24 | Iowa vs. Nebraska | 12:00 p.m. | CBS |
| Friday, November 24 | Toledo vs. Central Michigan | 12:00 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Friday, November 24 | Ohio vs. Akron | 12:00 p.m. | CBSSN |
| Friday, November 24 | UTSA vs. Tulane | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Friday, November 24 | Utah State vs. New Mexico | 3:30 p.m. | CBSSN |
| Friday, November 24 | Missouri vs. Arkansas | 4:00 p.m. | CBS |
| Friday, November 24 | Air Force vs. Boise State | 4:00 p.m. | FS1 |
| Friday, November 24 | Texas Tech vs. Texas | 7:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Friday, November 24 | Penn State vs. Michigan State | 7:30 p.m. | NBC |
| Friday, November 24 | Oregon State vs. Oregon | 8:30 p.m. | FOX |
Data effective as of post date.
How to watch college football on Thanksgiving
‡CableTV.com utilizes paid Amazon links. Amazon.com Price; $59.99 (as of 10/3/23 9:30 a.m. CT). Read full disclaimer.
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 10/6/23 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.
Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.
