November sports watch guide: College basketball returns, NWSL Championship, ‘Madden’ movie
This is the month for those who believe in fate and sleep too late. It’s apparently the month when Wyclef Jean comes back. Above all, for our readership, November is a month of wall-to-wall goodness across the sports we love.
The NFL goes overseas and then dominates Thanksgiving weekend. The NBA and NHL heat up as All-Stars go against the franchises that traded them. College ball is lifted by unimpeachable rivalries. There’s soccer and motorsports and … Tracy Morgan!
In surveying the weeks ahead, we did our best to cover the major events and promote some sleepers. All times are ET, and all channel listings are for U.S. viewers.
You can watch live sports on Fubo (Stream Free Now).
November 2026 sports schedule
The New York City Marathon
Nov. 1, 8 a.m. on ESPN2 and 3 p.m. on ABC
The five-borough race celebrates its 50th year in existence, stretching from Staten Island to Central Park. There’s 8-11:30 a.m. coverage on ESPN2, then a 3-5 p.m. finish-line special on ABC.
2026 Oui-Play event
Nov. 2 on ESPN and ESPN2
Maryland vs. South Carolina, noon on ESPN
Oklahoma vs. North Carolina, 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2
In women’s basketball, All-American Joyce Edwards and the No. 1 Gamecocks headline a four-school excursion to Paris. South Carolina faces 20th-ranked Maryland at noon. No. 12 North Carolina and No. 21 Oklahoma fill out the bill. It’s all soundtracked by the gold-standard booth of Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo and Holly Rowe.
‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ Season 2 premiere
Nov. 2, 8:30 p.m. on NBC
Tracy Morgan returns as the titular (and fictional) Dinkins, a former NFL star disgraced by a gambling scandal. Daniel Radcliffe plays a documentarian hired to reclaim Dinkins’ public image. It’s a surrealist single-camera comedy with Erika Alexander and Bobby Moynihan in supporting roles. New episodes air Mondays in this same 8:30 p.m. window.
‘The Greatest’ series premiere
Nov. 4 on Prime Video
This scripted series explores the life and legacy of Muhammad Ali and is executive produced by his wife, Lonnie. Jaalen Best portrays the iconoclastic heavyweight champion. All eight parts are streaming upon release.
‘Terrell & T.O.’ premiere
Nov. 5 on Prime Video
The feature-length documentary charts Terrell Owens’ rise from Chattanooga to Canton. The subject himself sits for interviews, as do the likes of Andy Reid, Jerry Rice and Steve Young. Popcorn is encouraged.
IIHF Women’s World Championship
Nov. 6-16 on NHL Network
Denmark welcomes 10 national squads to the cities of Herning and Esbjerg. The U.S. went unbeaten in last year’s event. Tessa Janecke scored the decisive overtime goal in the gold-medal game versus Canada.
Denver Nuggets vs. Indiana Pacers in Mexico City
Nov. 7, 5 p.m. on NBA TV
A 35th NBA export to Mexico taps the majestic Nikola Jokić and the versatile Pascal Siakam. The game goes down at Arena CDMX and incorporates local Día de Muertos celebrations.
Miami at Notre Dame
Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m. on NBC
One of college football’s great rivalries renews in South Bend. This historic entanglement peaked with the 1988 “Catholics vs. Convicts” banger. After a few decades of dormancy, the series found new fire through last season’s 27-24 Miami upset. Heisman Trophy hopeful and star wideout Malachi Toney matches up with Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore, the Jim Thorpe Award favorite.
Other gems on that slate include BYU at Utah in the Holy War (noon on ABC or ESPN) and Alabama at LSU for the First Saturday in November (3:30 p.m. on ABC).
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Atlanta Falcons in Madrid
Nov. 8, 9:30 a.m. on NFL Network
The NFL sends some of its coolest and most watchable talents overseas to the Bernabéu. Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson glides past defenses with turbocharger burst. Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase makes the sublime look simple, while quarterback Joe Burrow is in MVP contention. This is the league’s second Madrid game in as many years.
Atlético Madrid vs. Barcelona
Nov. 8, 3 p.m. on ESPN Deportes
Two of La Liga’s most competitive clubs go at it, with scintillating winger Lamine Yamal of Barca against enduring goalkeeper Jan Oblak of Atlético. Yamal fell short of the 2026 Ballon d’Or, but some of our writers thought that the 19-year-old deserved the vote.
NASCAR Cup Series Championship
Nov. 8, 3 p.m. on NBC
Stock car season takes a final lap at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and the playoff circuit gets its first South Florida finish since 2019. Kyle Larson, last year’s Cup Series champion, won at this track in 2025.
Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony
Nov. 9, 8 p.m. on NHL Network
The 2026 class honors NHL notables Patrice Bergeron, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne and Keith Tkachuk. Cindy Curley is also inducted from the United States women’s national team. A sixth member, Brian Burke, goes in as a “builder” for his contributions as an executive.
Champions Classic doubleheader
Nov. 10 on ESPN
Michigan State vs. Duke, 7 p.m.
Kansas vs. Kentucky, 9:30 p.m.
Blue bloods run together at Chicago’s United Center. The men’s basketball showcase begins with Duke and Michigan State — 17-year-old Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje joins the Blue Devils from Spain, while guard Jeremy Fears Jr. steps up as a Spartans standard-bearer. The second game pairs Kansas with Kentucky.
Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers
Nov. 10, 8 p.m. on NBC
The Celtics and Sixers link up after their fateful summer swap. Boston traded Jaylen Brown, its 10-year fixture and NBA Finals MVP, for Philly’s Paul George (plus a few draft picks). Brown felt disrespected this offseason, and he gets a chance to vent in front of a national viewership. Meanwhile, George returns to Philadelphia following a contentious max-contract letdown
Source: sports.yahoo.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.