Fifth-ranked Illinois is in Indianapolis tonight to take on the number-two ranked Baylor Bears in the Jimmy V Classic. The Illini are 3-and-0 and Baylor is 2-and-0. Tonight marks Illinois’ first top-5 match-up since falling to North Carolina in the 2005 NCAA Championship game.
Also scheduled today in college basketball, NIU Huskies will host the SIU Edwardsville Cougars , The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame take on the Western Michigan Broncos. Illinois State faces the Greenville Panthers at the Redbird Arena and The Northwestern Wildcats battle Arkansas – Pine Bluff at the Welsh -Ryan Arena in Evanston.
The Colorado men’s basketball program is shutting down due to COVID-19. All team activities have been paused, forcing the Buffaloes to postpone tonight’s Pac-12 opener at Arizona. Colorado is scheduled to host Washington State on Saturday, but the school says the status of future games will be determined after contact tracing and more testing is done this week.
In football the Second-ranked Notre Dame will be in the ACC Championship Game after the conference changed its schedule. The December 12th makeup game with Wake Forest won’t be played. The Irish and Clemson will now be off the week before their anticipated December 19th rematch.
Hopefully third time’s the charm when The Ravens and Steelers will try and finally play football today. Their game in Pittsburgh was set for Thanksgiving night, but has been pushed back three times due to COVID-19 issues with the Ravens. Baltimore had two more positive tests yesterday.
Interesting NFL news out of California, The San Francisco 49ers will be on an unusual three-week road trip after being kicked out of their stadium and practice facility because of strict new COVID-19 protocols in their home county in Northern California. The Niners will fly to Arizona, where they will practice, live and play their next two games after Santa Clara County imposed a three-week ban on games and practices for contact sports.
The Dallas Mavericks will go up against LeBron James and the defending champion Lakers on Christmas Day in Los Angeles. The NBA released their Christmas Day schedule that also features the Pelicans taking on the Heat, The Warriors will face the Bucks, Nets versus the Celtics and the Clippers taking on the Nuggets.
Iowa wrestling legend Dan Gable will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time NCAA champion will receive the Medal of Freedom from President Trump in Washington, DC on Monday.