UFC hits MSG on November sports calendar
Jon Jones faces Stipe Miocic for the UFC heavyweight title, and the auto circuits wind down. Here’s a look at 10 highlights on the November sports calendar, including rivalry games in the NFL and college football.
NBA Regular Season (November 1-30)
The first days of the November NBA regular-season schedule feature a back-to-back set for the Celtics at the Hornets in Charlotte on November 1 and 2, with Boston also in the spotlight on November 6 as they host Golden State in a primetime ESPN matchup. The Clippers also host the Sixers on ESPN that night, with Phoenix at Dallas on November 8, and the Knicks on the road to face Philadelphia on November 12.
NHL Regular Season (November 1-30)
The NHL begins its November slate with a pair of Global Series contests in Finland as the Dallas Stars meet the Florida Panthers on November 1 and 2 at the Nokia Arena in Tampere, while Sunday features a matchup between the Oilers and Flames in Calgary. Looking ahead, the Maple Leafs host the Bruins on November 5, Colorado is at Winnipeg on November 7, and Montreal is at Toronto on November 9.
College Football Regular Season (November 1-30)
The big game on the college football slate for the first weekend of the month has Penn State hosting Ohio State, while top-ranked Oregon plays on the road at Michigan. On November 9 it’s then Georgia taking on Ole Miss while Alabama faces LSU, with the November 16 slate highlighted by Tennessee at Georgia and Clemson at Pittsburgh. Army faces Notre Dame in a Week 13 game on November 23, and the last Saturday of the month includes Notre Dame/USC, Michigan/Ohio State, and Auburn/Alabama.
Sao Paulo Grand Prix (November 3)
Max Verstappen holds a 362-315 lead on Lando Norris in the driver standings heading into this year’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, while Norris’ McLaren team sits with a 566-537 lead on Ferrari in the constructor standings (with Verstappen’s Red Bull team third at 512 points). Verstappen won this event last year, with Norris finishing second, and Fernando Alonso ending up third.
Xfinity 500 (November 3)
The second-last race of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule takes place at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, and it’s the last chance for Round of 8 drivers to qualify for the circuit’s Championship 4. Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick won the first two races of the Round of 8 at Las Vegas and Homestead-Miami to automatically qualify for the Championship 4. Christopher Bell and William Byron hold down the third and fourth spots in the standings, ahead of Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, and Chase Elliott.
NFL Regular Season (November 3-29)
November kicks off with Week 9 of the NFL season, which actually began on Halloween night with the Jets hosting the Texans. The Week 9 marquee matchup has the Packers hosting the Lions in an NFC North showdown late on Sunday afternoon, with Detroit then playing on the road at Houston on Sunday night in Week 10. In Week 11 we get the Bills hosting the Chiefs and the Ravens on the road at the Steelers, while Week 12’s top games have the Bears hosting the Vikings and San Francisco playing at Green Bay.
College Basketball Regular Season (November 4-30)
The men’s college basketball season gets underway on Monday, November 4 with a large slate of games including top-ranked Kansas getting a visit at the Allen Fieldhouse from Howard. The Jayhawks are followed on the preseason AP Top 25 by Alabama, UConn, Houston, and Iowa State, with Gonzaga, Duke, Baylor, North Carolina, and Arizona rounding out the Top 10 of those rankings heading into the season.
NASCAR Cup Series Championship (November 10)
The NASCAR Cup Series season concludes at Phoenix Raceway with the four drivers who qualified for the Championship 4 competing for the circuit’s title. Logano and Reddick will be joined by the top two qualifiers from Martinsville in their pursuit of the championship. Ross Chastain, who wasn’t in contention for the overall title, ended up winning this event in Phoenix last season, ahead of Blaney and Larson.
UFC 309: Jones vs Miocic (November 16)
The UFC 309 card at Madison Square Garden will be headlined by a UFC Heavyweight Championship bout between champion Jon Jones and challenger (and former champion) Stipe Miocic. Also on the card is a lightweight bout between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler, and a women’s flyweight bout between Viviane Araujo and Karine Silva. Bo Nickal will also take on fellow middleweight Paul Craig.
Las Vegas Grand Prix (November 23)
The Las Vegas Grand Prix will be held for the second time ever at the end of the month, with the Formula 1 event taking place at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Verstappen won the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix last season, with Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez rounding out the podium, and Norris failing to finish after getting in an accident on the second lap. Qatar and Abu Dhabi races then round out the F1 season.
With zero championships between his MLB, NHL, and NFL teams over the last 30 years, Dave keeps one foot in the past while shaking his fist at the present. Having provided content to all manner of sports websites over a 20-year career in the industry, Dave brings to Attiq an eye for all things editorial and a disdain for all things New York Yankees. Click here for Dave's posts.
