Atlanta and Georgia Sports Events (Holiday 2022)

November and December are a time for celebrating all manner of holidays and enjoying the company of wonderful family members and dear friends at home or out and about at local watering holes or any number of seasonal events.

Sporting events pick up steam in the fall and winter, and our selection of November/December sports events are sure to engage and amaze fans of any of the sports featured.

NOVEMBER

November 12
Georgia Tech vs. Georgia State University
GSU Convocation Center

November usually marks the start of the NCAA college basketball season, and two Atlanta-based colleges will square off in a grudge match to start the year. The Georgia State Panthers are coming off an appearance in the NCAA Tournament as a 16-seed, in which they played quite capably against the top-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs before ultimately falling in the second half.

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are in a far more competitive conference (ACC) than GSU (Sun Belt), and this should make for a fun matchup in ATL early in the college basketball season, as the Panthers are at home and have forced the Yellow Jackets into overtime games the past two times they’ve faced off (even winning in quadruple overtime in 2020 by a final score of 123 to 120).

November 20
NBA G-League: Westchester Knicks vs. College Park Skyhawks
Gateway Center Arena at College Park

The NBA’s official minor league, called the G-League, has improved in quality substantially over the past few seasons – with almost every NBA franchise having a G-League squad of its own. The Atlanta Hawks G-League affiliate, the Skyhawks, are located in nearby College Park. G-League games are often quite competitive and entertaining as all of these players hoop for a chance to make a name for themselves in the NBA proper. For the Skyhawks, a stable of former young and hungry NBA players are present including DaQuan Jeffries, Chaundee Brown Jr., Marcus Georges-Hunt and others. Also, tickets are available for less than $20 – so it’s much cheaper than seeing the Hawks play!

November 26
Georgia Tech vs. University of Georgia
Sanford Stadium

The college football rivalry dubbed “clean, old-fashioned hate” serves as the regular season finale for both teams in the 2022 season. This inter-state bout between the two most well-known college football programs in Georgia serves as an annual capstone to what is usually a coronation for UGA.

Of course, Tech has proven to be spoilers in the past and have even had teams on par with UGA’s at times. Recently, however, this rivalry has been rather one-sided as UGA has lost only four times since 2000.

Still, with hate that’s this “clean and old-fashioned,” you never know what might happen – especially at McCamish Pavilion, home of the Ramblin’ Wreck.

November 27
Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks
State Farm Arena

Not only does the month of November augur the return of college basketball, but also the return of the NBA, where the Atlanta Hawks made major moves during the offseason to shore up the team’s porous defense in 2021-22.

On November 27, the Miami Heat, the team that ousted Atlanta in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, will return to State Farm Arena to face off against the retooled Hawks in what is sure to be a scintillating matchup. Look for Trae Young to exact some measure of revenge against a defense that made him look unusually human last year in the postseason.

DECEMBER

December 2
Denver Nuggets vs. Atlanta Hawks
State Farm Arena

Two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic visits Atlanta on December 2 to face off against the Hawks. With Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. back in the fold for the 2022-23 season in Denver, the Nugs will be looking to fight for the top seed in the Western Conference.

For those unaware, Nikola Jokic is the vaguely doughy yet preternaturally gifted Serbian center for the Nuggets. His unfathomable court vision and generally unstoppable yet supremely unflashy scoring chops make him one of the toughest covers in the NBA – leading to two straight MVP awards.

Anytime Jokic plays, it’s a can’t-miss event, so scoot on down to State Farm to catch him play – as well as your hometown Hawks.

December 3
SEC Championship Game
Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Fans of the University of Georgia football team will surely be expecting their beloved Dawgs to be in this game, which will also likely include their despised rivals – the Alabama Crimson Tide or another dreaded foe, such as the Tennessee Volunteers, Kentucky Wildcats or even Ole Miss.

The winner of this game (especially if it’s UGA or Alabama) will likely be favored in the CFB Playoffs thereafter.

December 4
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Atlanta Falcons
Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The Atlanta Falcons are currently tops in the NFC East with a .500 record of 4-4, and the team has been close in almost every game they’ve played this season. Atlanta’s NFL squad hosts NFC rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in this early December game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Falcs have looked fairly good so far, though they have a clear need at quarterback as former Titans QB Marcus Mariota is not a long-term solution for the team. Still, second-year tight end Kyle Pitts is showing growth after a strong rookie campaign and rookie wideout Drake London is also making quick strides in his first season.

December 31
Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium

While Bowl season might not be as impactful as it used to be in figuring out the champion in college football, it is still highly entertaining – as well as fairly inclusive of many, many programs football programs around the country. It will be cold around this time, so make sure you have the best trekking jacket available.

On New Year’s Eve, the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl will take place at the home of the Falcons, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and could feature any number of teams from the around the country. No matter what teams are involved, this is sure to be a thrilling college football postseason matchup and will likely be a hot ticket as the calendar swings over to 2023.