When the sports gods deliver a weekend like the one we’re now upon – with playoff games, title contests and high level competition between ranked opponents at every turn – there is but one place to turn: ESPN.
Whether it’s NBA basketball on Friday night, the NCAA FCS title game on Saturday or Monday night’s title tilt for the College Football Playoff Championship, ESPN and its myriad offerings are indisputably indispensable.
Front Row offers a viewer’s guide to nine of the niftiest and best match-ups you will find on ESPN over the next few days:
6 Degrees of CFP Title Separation
| Network (All on ESPN App) | Day, Time (ET), Sport | Match-up | CFP Connection(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESPN | Friday, 7 p.m., NBA | Timberwolves/Celtics | • Color analyst for the game, Jeff Van Gundy has a daughter who went to Georgia and several years ago, Van Gundy attended a Bulldog practice. |
| ESPN | Friday, 9:30 p.m., NBA | Wizards/Grizzlies | • Color analyst for the game, Hubie Brown, was a head coach for the CFP host city, Atlanta Hawks (Coach of the Year in 1978). |
| ESPN | Saturday, 1 p.m., MBB | No. 12 UNC vs. No. 8 UVA | • Color analyst for the game, Dick Vitale, honored Nick Saban at Vitale’s 2014 Gala. |
| ESPN, ABC, ESPN Deportes | Saturday, 4:20 p.m., NFL WC | Titans vs. Chiefs | • Titans have 2 players from ALA and 5 from UGA • Chiefs have 2 players from ALA and 4 from UGA |
| ESPN2 | Saturday, 7:15 p.m., MBB | No. 7 OKLA vs. No. 6 WVU | • Time for basketball, Sooner fans! Heck of a game in the CFP semis and a great rating to boot. |
| SEC Network | Saturday, 9 p.m., MBB | No. 17 UK vs. No. 23 TENN | • UK Coach John Calipari and Alabama Coach Nick Saban are often compared; including in the graphic below, from SEC Network. |
| ESPN2 | Saturday, Noon, FCS Title | NDST vs. JMU | • JMU alum, ESPN Vice President Lee Fitting oversees college sports and will be at the CFP, like he was for the semis. |
| ESPN2 | Sunday, 2 p.m., WBB | No. 4 SCAR vs. No. 15 MIZZ | • As of 1/4/18, South Carolina (12-1) and Missouri (13-1) each have one loss – just like Alabama (12-1) and Georgia (13-1). |
| ESPNU | Sunday, 6 p.m., MBB | No. 24 FSU vs. No. 15 MIA | • Two “football schools” whose fanbases wish they were playing in the CFP! |
