Fans will have to ring in the New Year with no NFL matchups as there is not a Thursday Night Football game tonight, December 31. The NFL opts not to have either Thursday Night Football or Monday Night Football matchups in Week 17 as the league wants each team to play games without knowing how their playoff fate is impacted by results around the league.
There are three college football bowl matchups for those looking for replacement options on New Year’s Eve. Tulsa squares off with Mississippi State in the Armed Forces Bowl at 12 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. Ball State takes on San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl at 2 p.m. at CBS.
Finally, West Virginia battles Army in the Liberty Bowl at 4 p.m. Eastern on ESPN in the final football matchup in 2020. There are also four bowl games on New Year’s Day including the College Football Playoff semifinal matchups between Alabama-Notre Dame along with Clemson-Ohio State.
The good news for NFL fans is there will be a full schedule of games on Sunday, January 3 with many impacting not only the playoff seeding but what teams make the postseason. Here is a look at the college football schedule for New Year’s along with the NFL Week 17 slate of games.
College Football Bowl Schedule: New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day
| DATE | BOWL GAME | TIME(ET)/TV CHANNEL |
| Thurs., December 31 | 24 Tulsa vs. Mississippi St. | 12 p.m. ESPN |
| Thurs., December 31 | Ball St. vs. 22 San Jose St. | 2 p.m. CBS |
| Thurs., December 31 | West Virginia vs. Army | 4 p.m. ESPN |
| Fri., January 1 | 9 Georgia vs. 8 Cincinnati | 12 p.m. ESPN |
| Fri., January 1 | Auburn v. 14 Northwestern | 1 p.m. ABC |
| Fri., January 1 | 4 Notre Dame vs. 1 Bama | 4 p.m. ESPN |
| Fri., January 1 | 3 Ohio St. vs. 2 Clemson | 8 p.m. ESPN |
NFL Schedule Week 17
| DATE | MATCHUP | TIME(ET)/TV CHANNEL |
| Sun., January 3 | Falcons vs. Buccaneers | 1 p.m. Fox |
| Sun., January 3 | Cowboys vs. Giants | 1 p.m. Fox |
| Sun., January 3 | Jets vs. Patriots | 1 p.m. CBS |
| Sun., January 3 | Vikings vs. Lions | 1 p.m. Fox |
| Sun., January 3 | Steelers vs. Browns | 1 p.m. CBS |
| Sun., January 3 | Ravens vs. Bengals | 1 p.m. CBS |
| Sun., January 3 | Dolphins vs. Bills | 1 p.m. CBS |
| Sun., January 3 | Seahawks vs. 49ers | 4:25 p.m. Fox |
| Sun., January 3 | Cardinals vs. Rams | 4:25 p.m. CBS |
| Sun., January 3 | Jaguars vs. Colts | 4:25 p.m. CBS |
| Sun., January 3 | Titans vs. Texans | 4:25 p.m. CBS |
| Sun., January 3 | Raiders vs. Broncos | 4:25 p.m. CBS |
| Sun., January 3 | Chargers vs. Chiefs | 4:25 p.m. Fox |
| Sun., January 3 | Packers vs. Bears | 4:25 p.m. Fox |
| Sun., January 3 | Saints vs. Panthers | 4:25 p.m. Fox |
| Sun., January 3 | Washington vs. Eagles | 8:20 p.m. NBC |
NFC Playoff Matchups
Here are the current NFC playoff matchups heading into Week 17. The top seed gets a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
No. 7 Chicago Bears vs. No. 2 New Orleans Saints
No. 6 L.A. Rams vs. No. 3 Seattle Seahawks
No. 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. No. 4 Washington Football Team
Bye: No. 1 Green Bay Packers
AFC Playoff Matchups
Here is a look at the current AFC playoff matchups if the postseason started today.
No. 7 Cleveland Browns vs. No. 2 Buffalo Bills
No. 6 Baltimore Ravens vs. No. 3 Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 5 Miami Dolphins vs. No. 4 Tennessee Titans
Bye: No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (Clinched)
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Thursday Night Football Tonight: No NFL Games on New Year’s Eve