ESPN and ABC Sports December Highlights
Athens, GA (Dec 3, 2007) - The following are the broadcast highlights for the month of December 2007 as presented on the ESPN Networks and ABC Sports, and published by ESPN.
~~~~ ESPN and ESPN2 ~~~~
NFL
The MNF schedule in December will kick off with a key AFC contest when the Baltimore Ravens host the New England Patriots-Ravens December 3. The final three games feature division rivalry match-ups, including Drew Brees and the Saints versus the Atlanta Falcons December 10. The following week, Brian Urlacher and the defending NFC champion Chicago Bears play the Minnesota Vikings December 17 in a NFC North tilt. The MNF regular-season finale will provide football fans with a special holiday treat as the Denver Broncos meet 2006 NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson and the defending AFC West champion San Diego Chargers on Christmas Eve, December 24, at 8 p.m. ET.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
ABC will provide live coverage of the Dr. Pepper ACC Championship Game from Jacksonville, Fla., Dec. 1 at 1 p.m. in addition to the Dr. Pepper Big 12 Championship Game from San Antonio, Texas at 8:07 p.m. Later that day the network will televise the UCLA vs. USC match at 4:30 p.m.
ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to televise 21 Bowl games from December 20-31. Coverage will begin with an ESPN Bowl Selection Special Sunday, Dec. 2, at 8 p.m. and a College GameDay: Bowl Mania Special, previewing all of the upcoming games, Saturday, Dec. 8, at 9 p.m. Additional, vThe action will start with San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Dec. 20, at 9 p.m. on ESPN. ESPN2’s bowl game coverage will begin with the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Dec. 21, at 8 p.m.
Full coverage of the NCAA Div. I Football Championship will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN2, including semifinal #1 Friday, Dec. 7, at 8 p.m. on ESPN2, semifinal #2 Saturday, Dec. 8, at 4 p.m. on ESPN, with coverage of the championship game Friday, Dec. 14, at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. The following day ESPN2 will televise the Div. III championship at 12 p.m.
- 2007 Home Depot College Football Awards Show Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
- 2007 Heisman Trophy Presentation presented by Nissan Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
NBA
ABC and ESPN will combine to present a special Christmas Day tripleheader, opening on ABC with the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James versus the Miami Heat with Dwyane Wade at 2 p.m., followed by Phoenix, with two-time league MVP Steve Nash, visiting the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant at 5:15 p.m. In the nightcap, ESPN will showcase the Portland Trail Blazers and the Seattle SuperSonics’ Kevin Durant, the No. 2 selection in the 2007 NBA Draft, at 8 p.m. |
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Men’s
ESPN and ESPN2’s schedule will continue with a combined 47 game schedule, highlighted by the Hall of Fame Elite Four game, Gonzaga vs. Connecticut, Saturday, Dec. 1, at 3:30 p.m. (ESPN), Jimmy V Classic from New York, N.Y., Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. Kansas State vs. Notre Dame followed by USC vs. Memphis at 9 p.m. (ESPN), Big East/SEC Invitational Wednesday, Dec. 5 and Thursday, Dec. 6 (ESPN and ESPN2), and the All College Classic from Oklahoma City, Okla., Thursday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. Oral Roberts vs. Oklahoma State followed by Gonzaga vs. Oklahoma (ESPN2).
Women’s
A Sunday afternoon women’s college basketball doubleheader will be televised on ESPN2 Sunday, Dec. 2 starting with Penn State hosting Duke at 5 p.m. followed by the North Carolina Tarheels at the defending National champion Tennessee Vols. The following day, ESPN2 will televise the Jimmy V Women’s Basketball Classic featuring Maryland vs. Rutgers at 7 p.m.
- ESPN will televise one live high school basketball telecast Thursday, Dec. 13, at 9 p.m. (teams to be announced at a later date).
SPORTSCENTER SPECIALS ON ESPN
- SportsCenter Year in Review, Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
- Top Ten Games, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
- Pro Bowl Announcement live Dec. 18 at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN.
- College Football Special Dec. 28 at 4 p.m.
SOCCER ON ESPN2
- NCAA Women’s College Cup from College Station, Texas, December 7-9 with the NCAA Men’s College Cup from Cary, N.C. December 14-16.
- Euro Champ Draw Show live Sunday, Dec. 2 from 5-6 a.m.
- UEFA Champions League matches Dec. 4, Dec. 11 and Dec. 12 at 2:30 p.m. each day.
RODEO
ESPN2’s full coverage of the PRCA National Finals Rodeo will begin Friday, Dec. 7 at 12 a.m. The championship round will be televised Sunday, Dec. 15 at 9 p.m. on ESPN.
BOWLING
ESPN’s weekly Sunday afternoon bowling telecasts, at 1 p.m., will continue with three live “Classics”:
Great Lakes Classic, Dec. 2; Beltway Classic, Dec. 9 and Spartanburg Classic, Dec. 16.
MISCELLANEOUS
- Champ Car Grand Prix of Arizona, Dec. 2 at 4 p.m. on ABC
- 2008 New Year’s Special live Dec. 31 at 11 p.m. on ESPN
- Cingular ESPN All America Team Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. on ABC
- Peyton Manning: Class of the NFL Dec. 15 at 5 p.m. on ABC
- Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Presentation Dec. 29 at 5 p.m. on ABC.
- Golf: Wendy’s Three Tour Challenge Dec. 22 and Dec. 23 at 4 p.m. both days on ABC. Additional golf coverage will include the ESPN National Golf Challenge Dec. 2 at 1:30 p.m. followed by the V Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
- 2007 NCAA Woman of the Year from Indianapolis, Ind., Dec. 7 at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
- 2007 High School Heisman Presentation Dec. 9 at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
- NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament from Sacramento, Calif., Dec. 13-15 on ESPN2.
- 2007 Pop Warner Championship Dec. 27 at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN.
- Bass: 2007 Wild Card Tournament Dec. 8 at 9 a.m.
~~~~ ESPN Classic ~~~~
SPORTSCENTER SPECIALS
SportsCenter, ESPN's flagship news and information program, will present three specials in December that premiere on ESPN Classic:
- SportsCenter Year in Review looks back at the 2007 year in sports Monday, Dec. 10, at 9 p.m. ET,
- SportsCenter Top Ten Games counts down the best games from 2007 Wednesday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m.
- Best of This is SportsCenter counts down the top SportsCenter commercials Thursday, Dec. 13, at 10 p.m.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
- ESPN Classic will televise two live games in December:
- The Hartford Hall of Fame Showcase featuring Providence at Boston College, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m.
- Big East Conference Basketball: Vanderbilt at DePaul, Dec. 12 at 8 p.m.
- In conjunction with the overall ESPN tribute to the Jimmy V Foundation, ESPN Classic will televise three of Jim Valvano’s biggest victories from when he was the basketball coach at North Carolina State University on Tuesday, Dec. 4, from 12:30 – 7 p.m., including the 1983 NCAA Tournament final, when N.C. State upset Houston for the championship.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
- ESPN Classic will televise the SWAC Championship from Birmingham, Ala., live on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 2 p.m.
- ESPN Classic will televise a “Heisman Hopefuls Marathon” Saturday, Dec. 8, from 12 – 8 p.m. The marathon will include games that feature the 2007 Heisman Trophy finalists.
- College Bowl Marathons
ESPN Classic will provide eight-hour marathons (11 a.m. – 7 p.m. each day) of past Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl games on three consecutive days in December: - December 26: Sugar Bowl games from 1991, 1995, 2004 and 1982 featuring former greats such as Dan Marino, Hershel Walker and Danny Wuerffel.
- December 27: Rose Bowl games from 2006, 1997, 1969 and 1993. Vince Young, Jake Plummer, and Tyrone Wheatley are some of the featured players.
- December 28: Fiesta Bowl games from 1987, 1999 and 2003. Featured players include Vinny Testaverde and Maurice Clarett.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
In conjunction with the airing of UEFA Champions League matches live on ESPN2, ESPN Classic will be re-airing matches on December 11 and 12 at 5 p.m.
SPORTSCENTURY
ESPN Classic’s Emmy and Peabody Award-winning signature series, SportsCentury, will continue most weekday mornings in December at 9 a.m. Some of the scheduled features include: Reggie Jackson, Dec. 3; Tony Stewart, Dec. 10; Arthur Ashe, Dec. 20; and Seabiscuit, Dec. 26.
60 MINUTES ON CLASSIC
60 Minutes On Classic will continue on ESPN Classic with four premiere half-hour episodes Fridays at 10 p.m. Each episode focuses on two notable past sports-related segments of theaward-winning TV news magazine. Highlights include 60 Minutes on Classic: Mixed Martial Arts/Pro Video Gaming on Dec. 7; 60 Minutes on Classic: David Robinson/Inner City Fencing on Dec. 14; 60 Minutes on Classic: John Daly/Jerry Bailey on Dec. 21, and 60 Minutes on Classic: Joe Namath/Derek Sanderson on Dec. 28.
REEL CLASSICS
Cannonball Run II will debut on Reel Classics, ESPN Classic’s weekly Sunday movie series, on Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. The 1984 sequel stars Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise in the illegal cross-country race, The Cannonball Run. Also appearing in the movie are Rat Packers, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr., along with numerous stars of television and the silver screen.
ESPN Classic will televise a Christmas Day movie marathon from 12 – 8 p.m. that includes ESPN Original Entertainment movies The Junction Boys and Codebreakers, as well as Something For Joey and Endless Summer.
CHEAP SEATS
Cheap Seats will continue to air throughout December most weekday afternoons at 1:30 p.m. Twin comedians Randy and Jason Sklar host the one-hour comedy series and apply their own brand of comedy watching old games and shows and commenting on game action, announcers and people in the crowd.
USA vs. USSR Marathon
ESPN Classic will televise an eleven-hour USA vs. USSR marathon on Sunday, Dec. 9, from 1 p.m. – 12 a.m. The marathon will include the 1972 Olympic Basketball game, the 1960 “First Miracle” hockey team, and the 1980 “Miracle on Ice.” In addition, the recent ESPN Classic replay of Dimitri Kirilov vs. Jose Navarro and Evander Holyfield vs. Sultan Ibragimov will air as part of the marathon. The marathon will end with back-to-back airings of the movie, Rocky IV.
~~~~ ESPNU ~~~~
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
- ESPNU will offer encore presentations of select 2006-2007 College Bowl Games leading up to the 2007-08 College Bowl games.
- Exclusive coverage of two games, including:
- NCAA Division ll Championship Semifinal, live, Saturday, Dec. 8 at 11 a.m. ET
- Pioneer Bowl from Las Vegas, Saturday, December 23 at 2 a.m. ET
- The college football Game-Of-The-Year Marathon begins on Dec. 24 at 6 p.m. and will showcase all of this season’s game-of-the-week winners. Viewers will also have a chance to vote for a game of the year at ESPNU.com. Voting begins on Monday, Dec. 24, at 6 p.m. and will continue through Wednesday, Dec. 26, at 12 p.m.
- ESPNU will continue to re-air college football games from ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 throughout the month.
- The Home Depot College Football Awards will be televised with pre- and post-Red Carpet segments on Thursday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. The awards will honor college football players and coaches that made a difference in the 2007 season.
- 2007 Heisman Trophy Programming:
- ESPNU’s Heisman Hopeful program highlights some of the best athletes in their pursuit for one of the biggest honors in sports Friday, Dec. 7, at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and on Saturday, Dec. 8, at midnight.
- Re-airs of the Heisman Trophy winner's best performances of the year:
- Monday, Dec. 10, at 10:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 9 a.m.
- Wednesday, Dec. 12, at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
- ESPNU will air 30 exclusive Men's college basketball games this month, including:
o Duke vs. Davidson – Saturday, Dec.1, at 12 p.m.
o Michigan at Harvard – Saturday, Dec.1, at 5:30 p.m.
o Ohio State at Butler - Saturday, Dec.1, at 7:30 p.m.
o Michigan State at Bradley - Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 9 p.m.
- The network will continue to re-air college basketball games from ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 throughout the month.
WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
ESPNU will carry four exclusive women’s volleyball regional matches Saturday, Dec. 8 at 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 9 p.m., and 11:30 p.m. There will also be one National Semifinal Game Thursday, Dec. 13, at 9 p.m.
COLLEGE HOCKEY
ESPNU will air two live, exclusive hockey games, including Maine vs. New Hampshire Sunday, December 16, at 4 p.m., and Merrimack vs. Boston University Sunday, December 30, at 7 p.m.
COLLEGE SOCCER
The network will carry exclusive coverage of both Men's and Women’s Soccer Championship Semifinals:
- Women: Friday, Dec. 7, at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
- Men: Friday, Dec. 14, at 5p.m. and 7:30p.m.
MISCELLANEOUS
ESPNU Recruiting Insider continues every Friday:
o Dec. 7, at 10:30 p.m.
o Dec. 14, at 10 p.m.
o Dec. 21, at 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
o Dec. 28, at 6:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.
ESPNU Coaches Spotlight will be televised Tuesday, December 4, from 1-5 p.m.
ESPNU Inside the Polls airs Monday December 3, at 7 p.m.
Varsity Inc. will air every Sunday at 9 p.m. and reviews the 2007 season of the West Monroe High School Rebels and their quest for the Louisiana State Championship.
SportsCenterU is seen live every Thursday at 11:30 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., with re-airs Friday and Sunday mornings highlighting news and information on a wide range of both men’s and women’s college athletics.
Inside the Big East is a weekly magazine show that highlights BIG EAST student athletes and it airs every Friday Night:
o Dec. 7, at 10 p.m.
o Dec. 14 at 10:30 p.m.
o Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. and 11p.m.
o Dec. 28 at 7 p.m.
~~~~ ESPN Deportes ~~~~
UEFA Champions League
Coverage of UEFA will continue on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 2:30 p.m. ET with AC Milan facing Celtic FC. ESPN Deportes will televise at least 10 games from each Matchday. Matchday 6 will begin on Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 2:30 p.m. Fernando Palomo, Mario Kempes, Richard Mendez and Giovanni Savarese, some of the best soccer commentators of Latin America, will offer their expert analysis. All matches will be replayed on ESPN Deportes throughout December. Match-ups for Matchday 6 are TBD. (Schedule)
Winter Baseball: Dominican League, Venezuelan League, and Pacific League
ESPN Deportes offers baseball fans a chance to catch some players from Major League Baseball (MLB) with coverage of Caribbean Baseball throughout December. Brandon Moss (Boston Red Sox) and Randy Choate (Arizona Diamondbacks) are some of the MLB stars who play in the Dominican League. In January, the Venezuelan and Pacific Leagues (eight teams each) and the Dominican League (six teams) will compete in a playoff series to determine each league’s champion. The champions will face off in the Caribbean World Series.
Dominican League
DATE | TIME (ET) | TEAMS |
Sunday, Dec. 2 | 4 p.m. | Tigres Del Licey vs. Leones Del Escogido |
Friday, Dec. 7 | 6:30 p.m. | Tigres Del Licey vs. Aguilas Cibaeñas |
Friday, Dec. 14 | 6:30 p.m. | Gigantes Del Cibao vs. Tigres Del Licey |
Sunday, Dec. 16 | 4 p.m. | Leones Del Escogido vs. Tigres Del Licey |
Friday, Dec. 21 | 6:30 p.m. | Leones Del Escogido vs. Aguilas Cibaeñas |
Sunday, Dec. 23 | 4 p.m. | TBD |
Venezuelan League
DATE | TIME | TEAMS |
Wednesday, Dec. 5 | 6:30 p.m. | Tigres De Aragua vs. Navegantes Del Magallanes |
Thursday, Dec. 13 | 3 a.m. | Leones Del Caracas vs. Cardenales De Lara |
Wednesday, Dec. 19 | 6:30 p.m. | Leones Del Caracas vs. Águilas Del Zulia |
Wednesday, Dec. 26 | 6:30 p.m. | Cardenales de Lara vs. Navegantes Del Magallanes |
Pacific League
DATE | TIME | TEAMS |
Tuesday, Dec. 4 | 10 p.m. | Algondoneros De Guasave vs. Aguilas De Mexicali |
Wednesday, Dec. 12 | 3 a.m. | Naranjeros De Hermosillo vs. Tomateros De Culiacán |
Tuesday, Dec. 18 | 9:30 p.m. | Venados De Mazatlán vs. Tomateros De Culiacán |
Thursday, Dec. 20 | 9:30 p.m. | Aguilas De Mexicali vs. Yaquis De Obregón |
Saturday, Dec. 22 | 8 p.m. | Naranjeros De Hermosillo vs. Mayos De Navojoa |
Thursday, Dec. 27 | 3 a.m. | Tomateros De Culiacán vs. Algondoneros De Guasave |
Saturday, Dec. 29 | 8 p.m. | Algondoneros De Guasave vs. Naranjeros De Hermosillo |
ESPN Perfiles
ESPN Perfiles is a 30-minute magazine show that provides in-depth looks into famous Latino athletes’ careers through interviews and analysis. This month ESPN Perfiles will feature Roberto Clemente; a talented Major League Baseball right fielder who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and was the first Latin American elected to the Hall of Fame, after his tragic death. This original episode will be televised on Sunday, Dec. 9, at 6:30 p.m.
2007 PRCA National Finals Rodeo
This year, the 23rd anniversary of Las Vegas as the host of The National Finals Rodeo (NFR), the NFR will rope in 120 of the best contestants to compete in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronco riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding. The contestants will compete in all seven events, each night, for 10 days straight. NFR coverage on ESPN Deportes will begin on Monday, Dec. 17, at 4 p.m.
DATE | TIME | ROUND |
Monday, Dec. 17 | 4 p.m. | First |
Tuesday, Dec. 18 | 4 p.m. | Second |
Wednesday, Dec. 19 | 4 p.m. | Third |
Thursday, Dec. 20 | 4 p.m. | Fourth |
Friday, Dec. 21 | 4 p.m. | Fifth |
Saturday, Dec. 22 | 4 p.m. | Sixth |
Monday, Dec. 24 | 4 p.m. | Seventh |
Tuesday, Dec. 25 | 4 p.m. | Eighth |
Wednesday, Dec. 26 | 4 p.m. | Ninth |
Thursday, Dec. 27 | 4 p.m. | Championship |
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football showcases some of the top matchups of the NFL. MNF will be preceded by a 30-minute live studio show; NFL Esta Noche. Alvaro Martin and Raul Allegre will be hosting MNF, with John Sutcliffe reporting from the sidelines.
DATE | TIME | TEAMS |
Dec. 3 | 8:30 p.m. | New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens |
Dec. 10 | 8:30 p.m. | New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons |
Dec. 17 | 8:30 p.m. | Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings |
Dec. 24 | 8 p.m. | Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers |
NBA
ESPN Deportes coverage of the National Basketball Association (NBA) will continue on Wednesday, Dec. 12, at 10:30 p.m. with the Phoenix Suns hosting the Utah Jazz.
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