SPORTS ON WEEKEND TV : Now It’s Basketball’s Turn

Basketball will replace baseball as a television sports staple this weekend. Also, USC, UCLA and the Rams will all make live football appearances.

College Football: Today, struggling USC (3-4) will visit No. 10 California (6-1) at 12:30 p.m. on Channels 7, 3, 10 and 42; No. 23 UCLA (5-2) will play Washington State (3-4) at 3:30 p.m. on Prime Ticket, and San Diego State (6-2) will take Wyoming (4-4-1) at 8 p.m. on Prime Ticket. Nationally, No. 4 Michigan (6-1) will meet Big Ten opponent Purdue (3-4) at 9:30 a.m. on ESPN; No. 5 Notre Dame (7-1) will play host to Navy (0-7) at 1 p.m. on Channels 4, 36 and 39, and ESPN’s 4:30 p.m. game between No. 9 Nebraska (6-1) and No. 15 Colorado (5-2) could decide the Big 8 championship.

Pro Football: The last-place Rams (3-5) will challenge the New Orleans Saints (7-1) Sunday at 1 p.m. on Channels 2 and 8; the Houston Oilers (7-1) will travel to the Washington Redskins (8-0) at 10 a.m. on Channels 4, 36 and 39, and the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-5) and Denver Broncos (6-2) will play on ESPN at 5 p.m.

Pro Basketball: The Lakers will conclude a two-game trip against the Dallas Mavericks today at 5:30 p.m. on Channels 9 and 63; the Detroit Pistons will meet the Atlanta Hawks at 4:35 p.m. on TBS, and Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls will visit the Milwaukee Bucks at 6 p.m. on WGN.

Other Sports: In horse racing, NBC (Channels 4, 36 and 39) will air four hours of the Breeders’ Cup today at 9 a.m. In distance running, ABC’s (Channels 7, 10 and 42) three-hour coverage of the New York City Marathon will start Sunday at 7:30 a.m.