The holidays are here, and for many of us, that means watching sports with friends and family. But on Christmas Eve this year, the options are extremely limited. In fact, there are no NBA, NFL or NHL games Wednesday. Sports fans must wait until 8 p.m. ET for the only event of the day: the Hawaii Bowl between California and Hawaii.
While Christmas Day has featured NBA games since 1947 and the NFL has recently introduced games on the holiday, Christmas Eve remains lacking in viewing opportunities. Some took to social media to express their disappointment about the dearth of games.
No NBA games on Christmas Eve seems like a missed opportunity
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) December 24, 2025
the sports slate on christmas eve pic.twitter.com/OBQNXPD76M
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) December 24, 2025
Christmas Eve sports schedule:
0 – NBA games
0 – NHL games
0 – College BasketballWaiting for the Hawai’i Bowl… pic.twitter.com/S00YQI17xu
— John Ewing (@johnewing) December 24, 2025
A limited game slate on December 24 is not new. In 2024, the Hawaii Bowl was also the only major sporting event taking place. Pro leagues have often used the day as an opportunity for players to spend time with their families during the holidays, especially with more teams increasingly playing on December 25.
The NBA has not hosted a Christmas Eve game since 1967, and the NHL hasn’t scheduled action since 1972. College basketball traditionally does not schedule games on Christmas Eve, with rare games on Christmas during holiday tournaments. Even college hockey isn’t an option on Wednesday.
Historically, the NFL does not play on Christmas Eve unless it falls on a day of the week when games are normally scheduled. The NFL had a full slate of 10 games on Sunday, December 24 in 2023 and 11 games on Saturday, December 24, 2022 to largely avoid Christmas Day. Prior to that, the NFL hosted just one Christmas Eve game since 2018.
Prior to 1990, when the NFL expanded its playoffs from 10 teams to 12, there were opportunities for playoff games on Christmas Eve. In the 1980s, there were two playoff games on the holiday, including a 1983 AFC Wild Card matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos. It was Seattle’s first-ever playoff game as a franchise, after joining the league in 1976.
Christmas Eve 1983#SEAHAWKS‘ FIRST POSTSEASON GAME
NBC Sports’ open to the 1983 AFC Wild Card Game, with Charlie Jones and Bob Griese — followed by John Facenda-narrated NFL Films highlights#Seattle opens up a tight game after halftime to defeat their then-division rival… pic.twitter.com/06CAuMCRv7
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) December 24, 2025
In the 1988 AFC Wild Card, the Houston Oilers defeated the Cleveland Browns in a thrilling 24-23 win on Christmas Eve. That game featured three Browns onside kick attempts and multiple fights.
Unfortunately, fans no longer get the luxury of NFL playoffs around the Christmas season. On Wednesday, they will just have to settle for a battle between 7-5 Cal and 8-4 Hawaii.
On an optimistic note, Wednesday’s lone game should provide an entertaining treat. The game does feature two true freshman quarterbacks who have performed excellently this year. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and Micah Alejado have each thrown for over 2,800 yards and a combined 38 touchdowns this season. Not to mention, viewers will surely experience some gorgeous Hawaiian landscapes during the broadcast.