How the SEC's TV contracts work

A frequently asked question to me: "Why are we in the midst of a three-week span in which the SEC's best game is at night, if the SEC game of the week is supposed to be at 3:30?"

Here's how the SEC's contract with CBS works. All times Eastern even though the majority of SEC teams play in the Central Time Zone. CBS is required to show the Arkansas/Texas A&M and Florida/Georgia neutral site games, both at 3:30. Arkansas/Texas A&M takes place early in the season, and Florida/Georgia is four Saturdays before Thanksgiving. CBS airs regular season games from Week 3 to Thanksgiving Saturday.

On most weeks, CBS gets the first pick of games and airs it at 3:30, and ESPN gets all the remaining SEC games. They can put up to 3 on SEC Network, which must be at the times of noon, 4, and 7:30. Any games on any ESPN network besides SEC Network can't have start times between noon and 7. A noon game or a 7:00 game is fine. ABC may never air an SEC game.

On one Saturday early in the season, either in late September or early October, CBS airs a noon and 3:30 doubleheader. The noon game is the third choice of games, after ESPN gets to choose the second choice of games to put at any time they please, after CBS gets their normal first choice of games at 3:30.

Three Saturdays before Thanksgiving, CBS airs a 3:30 and 8 doubleheader, with both the first and second choice of games. Because this has so frequently been Alabama/LSU, it is thought Alabama/LSU is always a night game, but this is not the case. In fact, earlier in the season when Alabama and LSU had both lost and Auburn was still undefeated, I thought Texas A&M at Auburn would certainly be chosen for the night game with Alabama at LSU at 3:30.

On Black Friday, CBS airs a game at 2:30. This is Arkansas at Missouri in even-numbered years and Texas A&M at LSU in odd-numbered years. Thanksgiving Saturday is once again just one 3:30 game with the first choice of games for CBS.

On the first Saturday in December, CBS airs the SEC Championship at 4.

Now let's take a look at why we are in the midst of a three-week span in which the SEC game of the week is not at 3:30. Last week, CBS simply made the decision to choose Mississippi State at Kentucky instead of Ole Miss at LSU. Not necessarily a mistake.

This week, CBS is required to show Florida/Georgia, which means they don't have a choice and can't choose Auburn at Ole Miss.

Next week, CBS has the doubleheader and so has placed Alabama at LSU at 8.