Holiday Sports Schedule for 2008

by Jon Azpiri | December 11, 2008 at 12:58 pm

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For many, one of the best things about the holidays is the chance to watch sports. Here is a list of major sporting events that will be take place between Dec. 24 and Jan. 8, 2009.

College Football

More than any other North American sport, college football is most associated with the holidays thanks to its long tradition of New Year's Day bowl games.

For a full rundown of every Bowl game, visit NowPublic's complete list of NCAA Bowl games.

This year's highlights includes New Year's Day's Rose Bowl matchup between Penn State and USC and the FedEx Orange Bowl featuring Cincinnati and Virginia Tech. On Jan. 2, the AT&T Cotton Bowl will feature Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech.

All the Bowl games will lead up to the FedEx BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 8. The game will pit Florida and Oklahoma to decide who will be crowned national champions.

Football

The NFL season will be wrapping up its regular season on Sunday, Dec. 28.

Highlights of the 16-game schedule include the Tennessee Titans meeting the Indianapolis Colts in a meeting of two top AFC teams. The New York Jets will face the Miami Dolphins in a game that could decide the winner of the AFC East.

You can view a full list of NFL games here.

Basketball

As usual, the NBA will host two games on Christmas Day. The Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Washington Wizards while the Dallas Mavericks face the Portland Trailblazers.

For a full list of December NBA games, visit here.

Pro Hockey

The NHL will host nine games on Boxing Day, a holiday in the hockey hotbed of Canada. Dec. 26th games include the Vancouver Canucks hosting the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs taking on the New York Islanders.

The big NHL game during the holiday season will be the Chicago Blackhawks game played outdoors in the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field on New Year's Day. The Jan. 1 game will have the Blackhawks take on the Detroit Red Wings on a frozen pond inside the home of the Chicago Cubs. Last year's outdoor game in Buffalo was a huge success and this year's game will likely be the same. Rumor has it President-elect Barack Obama will be in attendance.

Junior Hockey

For many hockey fans, watching the 2009 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship has become something of a tradition. The tournament, which begins on Boxing Day and runs until Jan. 5, will feature the best under-20 hockey players in the world.

Soccer

The English Premier League will put on 10-game schedule on Boxing Day. Some of the best games will be Arsenal against Aston Villa and Liverpool vs Bolton. On Dec. 28, there will be eight more EPL matches, including Arsenal taking on Portsmouth.

For a full list of matches, visit here.