MIAMI, March 10 (UPI) — The Players Championship golf tournament, the first rounds of the World Baseball Classic and the annual College Basketball Sunday Draft lead the weekend sports program. Soccer games and hockey games also fill the slate.
In addition, two NASCAR races are on the schedule this weekend in Phoenix. And nearly two dozen NBA games will air Friday through Sunday. College basketball fans will also have a number of offers.
Golf Players Championship
The 2023 Players Championship kicked off Thursday and will continue through Sunday at the scenic TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
The 144 players will compete in the Stadium Course for a record purse of $25 million, including $4.5 million for the winner.
Jon Rahm, the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking, is among 19 of the top 20 golfers in the Players Championship.
No. 3 Rory McIlroy preferred to win. Mais Rahm, No. 2 Scottie Scheffler, No. 4 Patrick Cantlay, No. 9 Justin Thomas, No. 7. Max Homa, No. 10 Collin Morikawa, No. 11 Viktor Hovland, No. 6 Xander Schauffele, No. 43 Jason Day, No. 13 Tony Finau and No. 8 Will Zalatoris all have a good chance of winning.
No. 5 Cameron Smith, the defending champion, is among a group of LIV Golf Series Top 100 players who are not eligible to play in the Players Championship or any PGA Tour-affiliated event due to of their defection to the controversial rival league.
Players Championship coverage will air on Golf Channel and NBC. The second round will air from noon to 6 p.m. Friday on Golf Channel. Coverage of the third and fourth rounds will air from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on NBC.
Thunderstorms are expected Friday afternoon on Ponte Vedra beach. More rain is expected on Sunday evening.
World Baseball Classic
The 2023 World Baseball Classic kicked off Wednesday in Taichung, Taiwan, one of the four host cities. Additional matches kicked off in Tokyo on Friday. U.S.-based matches kick off Saturday in Phoenix and Miami.
All World Baseball Classic games will be broadcast on FS1, FS2 or FOX, or can be streamed on Tubi.
The 20 participating teams are divided into four groups for the first round of the tournament. Each team will play against all the teams in its group.
The top 2 teams from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals, held March 15-18 in Tokyo and Miami. The four winners advance to the semi-finals and play on March 19 and 20 in Miami. The title match will take place on March 21 in Miami.
The Dominican Republic, United States, Japan, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Korea are expected to be the main contenders. Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani and Japan take on Korea at 5 a.m. Friday on FS1. Japan will face the Czech Republic early Saturday and Australia early Sunday on the same channel.
San Diego Padres star Juan Soto and the Dominican Republic will make their World Baseball Classic debut at 7 p.m. Saturday on FS1. Angels outfielder Mike Trout, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and the Americans will make their debut against Great Britain at 9 p.m. Saturday on Fox.
Team USA takes on Mexico at 10 p.m. Sunday on FS1.
Sunday selection
The annual draft shows for the NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will air on Sunday. The men’s tournament draw will be revealed at 6 p.m. on CBS. The women’s field will be announced at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
Action from the men’s tournament will take place Tuesday through April 3 and will air on TBS, TNT, TruTV and CBS. The women’s matches will take place Tuesday through April 3 and will be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN News and ABC.
The South Carolina Gamecocks (32-0), defending champions, are the big favorites to win the women’s tournament. The Indiana Hoosiers (27-4), Stanford Cardinal (28-6), UConn Huskies (29-5) and Iowa Hawkeyes (28-6) are among the other favorites to win the title.
Houston Cougars (25-2), Alabama Crimson Tide (23-4), defending champion Kansas Jayhawks (25-6), Purdue Boilermakers (23-5), Arizona Wildcats (25-6), UCLA Bruins ( 27-4) and Baylor Bears (22-9) are the favorites for the men’s title.
Weekend schedule (every hour EST/EDT)
Friday
Baseball
World Baseball Classic: Korea vs. Japan at 5am on FS1
World Baseball Classic: Italy vs. Chinese Taipei at 6 a.m. on Tubi
World Baseball Classic: Australia vs. China at 10 p.m. on FS2
World Baseball Classic: Italy vs. Panama at 11 p.m. on FS1
Golf
Players Championship: second round from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Golf Channel
Soccer
Serie A: Inter Milan at Spezia at 2:45 p.m. on Paramount+
La Liga: Getafe at Cadiz at 3 p.m. on ESPN Deportes
NBA
Cavaliers at Heat at 8 p.m. on NBA TV
Raptors at Lakers at 10:30 p.m. on NBA TV
SATURDAY
Baseball
World Baseball Classic: Japan vs. Czech Republic at 5am on FS1
World Baseball Classic: Chinese Taipei vs. Netherlands at 6am on FS2
World Baseball Classic: Puerto Rico vs Nicaragua at noon on FS2
World Baseball Classic: Mexico vs. Colombia at 2:30 p.m. on Fox
World Baseball Classic: Venezuela vs. Dominican Republic at 7 p.m. on FS1
World Baseball Classic: USA vs. Great Britain at 9 p.m. on Fox
World Baseball Classic: Korea vs. Czech Republic at 10 p.m. on FS1
World Baseball Classic: Cuba vs. Chinese Taipei at 11 p.m. on FS2
Soccer
Premier League: Liverpool at Bournemouth at 7.30am on USA Network
La Liga: Espanyol at Real Madrid at 8am on ESPN Deportes, ESPN+
Bundesliga: FC Augsburg at Bayern Munich at 9:30 am on ESPN +
Premier League: Chelsea at Leicester at 10 a.m. on USA Network
Premier League: Nottingham Forest at Spurs at 10 a.m. on Peacock Premium
MLS: Atlanta at Charlotte at noon on Fox
Serie A: Atlanta at Naples at noon on Paramount +
Premier League: Manchester City at Crystal Palace at 12:30 p.m. on USA Network
Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund at Schalke 04 at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN+
Serie A: Lazio in Bologna at 2:45 p.m. on Paramount+
Ligue 1: Paris Saint-Germain in Brest at 3 p.m. on beIN Sports
MLS: Dallas at Vancouver at 5 p.m. on Apple TV
MLS: Seattle at Cincinnati at 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV
MLS: Orlando at DC United at 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV
MLS: Miami at NYCFC at 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV
MLS: Chicago at Philadelphia at 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV
MLS: Columbus at Toronto at 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV
MLS: Los Angeles Galaxy at Kansas City at 8:30 p.m. on Apple TV
MLS: New York Red Bulls at Minnesota at 8:30 p.m. on Apple TV
MLS: Montreal at Nashville at 8:30 p.m. on Apple TV
MLS: Austin at Real Salt Lake at 9:30 p.m. on Apple TV
MLS: St. Louis at Portland at 10:30 p.m. on Apple TV
MLS: Colorado at San Jose at 10:30 p.m. on Apple TV
Golf
Players Championship: Third Round from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on NBC
NHL
Red Wings at Bruins at 1 p.m. on ABC
Flyers at Penguins at 3:30 p.m. on ABC
NASCAR
Xfinity Series United Rentals 200 at 4:30 p.m. on FS1
NBA
Bucks at Warriors at 8:30 p.m. on ABC
Sunday
Baseball
World Baseball Classic: Australia vs Japan at 6am on FS1
World Baseball Classic: Italy vs Netherlands at 7am on FS2
World Baseball Classic: Israel vs. Nicaragua at noon on FS2
World Baseball Classic: Canada v Great Britain at 3 p.m. on FS1
World Baseball Classic: Puerto Rico vs. Venezuela at 7 p.m. on FS1
World Baseball Classic: USA vs. Mexico at 10 p.m. on FS1
World Baseball Classic: Czech Republic vs Australia at 11 p.m. on FS2
Soccer
La Liga: Real Sociedad in Mallorca at 9am on ESPN Deportes, ESPN+
Premier League: Arsenal at Fulham at 10 a.m. on Peacock Premium
Premier League: Southampton at Manchester United at 10 a.m. on Peacock Premium
MLS: New England at LAFC at 10:30 p.m. on Apple TV
La Liga: Almeria at Sevilla at 11.15am on ESPN Deportes, ESPN+
La Liga: Real Betis at Villarreal at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN Deportes, ESPN+
Sampdoria at Juventus at 3:45 p.m. on Paramount+
La Liga: Barcelona at Athletic Club at 4 p.m. on ESPN Deportes, ESPN+
Golf
Players Championship: Final round from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on NBC
NHL
Bruins at the Red Wings at 1:30 p.m. on TNT
Rangers at Penguins at 4 p.m. on TNT
NASCAR
Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at 3:30 p.m. on Fox
NBA
Knicks at Lakers at 9 p.m. on ESPN
college basketball
Men’s selection broadcast at 6 p.m. on CBS
Women’s selection show at 8 p.m. on ESPN]