Bowl Games and Parades Help Ring in the New Year on TV

All three major networks and three local stations will cover today’s Tournament of Roses Parade beginning at 8 a.m.

Channels 5 and 11 each will broadcast an hour of pre-parade programming beginning at 7 a.m. They also plan to air the 101st annual parade three times, never leaving parade coverage for commercials. Both stations will have encore showings at 10:30 a.m. immediately after the live telecast. KTTV, whose coverage will be hosted by Alex Trebek, Deidre Hall and Bill Welsh, will show its second replay at 5 p.m. The Bob Eubanks and Stephanie Edwards-hosted KTLA telecast also will be seen at 7:30 p.m.

Channel 34 will provide Spanish-language coverage with commentators Jessi Losada and Laura Martinez Herring, starting at 8 a.m.

On the networks, Kevin Dobson and Mary Frann host CBS’ coverage; Barbara Eden and Blair Underwood do the honors for NBC, while Joan Lunden and Jim McKay hold down Colorado Boulevard for ABC.

CBS also will air the Cotton Bowl Parade at 2 p.m.

New Year’s Day football has almost doubled in a decade, with seemingly everyone but Donald Trump mixing up a bowl. On Jan. 1, 1980, there were just four games, today there are seven. Today’s football marathon begins at 10 a.m. with the Hall of Fame Bowl, a game that did not exist until 1986. No. 9 Auburn will go against No. 21 Ohio State on Channels 4, 36 and 39 in the Hall of Fame fight.

Two games kick off at 10:30 a.m. Channels 2 and 8 will air the Cotton Bowl between No. 8 Tennessee and No. 10 Arkansas, while Channels 7, 3, 10 and 42 broadcast the Florida Citrus Bowl pitting No. 11 Illinois against No. 15 Virginia.

No. 5 Florida State faces No. 6 Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl at 1:30 p.m. on Channels 4, 36 and 39.

A triple-header to determine college football’s national champion begins at 1:45 p.m. on Channels 7, 3, 10 and 42 with the Rose Bowl, a game that has not had any bearing on the national championship since Jan. 1, 1980. A win there by No. 3 Michigan over No. 12 USC, and losses by Colorado and Miami, would give retiring Wolverines Coach Bo Schembechler his first national championship.

Top-ranked Colorado could render all the “what ifs” moot with a victory over No. 4 Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl at 5 p.m. on Channels 4, 36 and 39. The Sugar Bowl is today’s final game with No. 2 Miami seeking to keep its championship hopes alive at the expense of No. 7 Alabama at 5:30 p.m. on Channels 7, 3, 10 and 42.

There are also alternatives for people who are not fans of parades or football. The Los Angeles Kings skate against the Washington Capitals at 10:30 a.m. on Prime Ticket while Channel 13 presents a 12-hour Godzilla marathon beginning at 7 a.m.