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Sports on TV for Wednesday, Dec. 31

(All times Eastern)

Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts

Wednesday, Dec. 31

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)

Noon

ESPN2 — Wake Forest at NC State

ESPNU — Tulane at East Carolina

2 p.m.

ACCN — Virginia at Virginia Tech

CBSSN — Stony Brook at William & Mary

ESPN2 — Clemson at Syracuse

ESPNU — Rice at Tulsa

4 p.m.

ACCN — Georgia Tech at Duke

ESPN2 — North Texas at Memphis

ESPNU — Wichita St. at UAB

5 p.m.

PEACOCK — UConn at Xavier

6 p.m.

FS1 — DePaul at Villanova

8 p.m.

FS1 — St. John’s at Georgetown

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)

12:30 p.m.

BTN — Ohio St. at Purdue

2 p.m.

PEACOCK — UCLA at Penn St.

3 p.m.

PEACOCK — UConn at Providence

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Noon

ESPN — ReliaQuest Bowl: Iowa vs. Vanderbilt, Tampa, Fla.

2 p.m.

CBS — Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Arizona St. vs. Duke, El Paso, Texas

3 p.m.

ABC — Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs. Texas, Orlando, Fla.

3:30 p.m.

ESPN — SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl: Nebraska vs. Utah, Las Vegas

7:30 p.m.

ACCN — Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Miami vs. Ohio St., CFP Quarterfinal, Arlington, Texas (Field Pass with ACC Huddle)

ESPN — Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Miami vs. Ohio St., CFP Quarterfinal, Arlington, Texas

ESPN2 — Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Miami vs. Ohio St., CFP Quarterfinal, Arlington, Texas (Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show)

ESPNEWS — Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Miami vs. Ohio St., CFP Quarterfinal, Arlington, Texas (Command Center)

ESPNU — Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Miami vs. Ohio St., CFP Quarterfinal, Arlington, Texas (SkyCast)

IIHF HOCKEY (BOY’S)

1 p.m.

NHLN — 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship Group Stage: Switzerland vs. Slovakia, Group A, Saint Paul, Minn.

3:30 p.m.

NHLN — 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship Group Stage: Czechia vs. Latvia, Group B, Minneapolis

6 p.m.

NHLN — 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship Group Stage: U.S. vs. Sweden, Group A, Saint Paul, Minn.

8:30 p.m.

NHLN — 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship Group Stage: Canada vs. Finland, Group B, Minneapolis

NBA BASKETBALL

1 p.m.

NBATV — Golden State at Charlotte

3:30 p.m.

NBATV — Phoenix at Cleveland

7 p.m.

NBATV — New York at San Antonio

SOCCER (MEN’S)

10:10 a.m.

FS2 — Saudi Pro League: Al Ittihad at Neom SC

12:15 p.m.

FS2 — Saudi Pro League: Al Hilal at Al Kholood

_____

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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