The epicenter of college football will shift to Tuscaloosa Nov. 5 for the showdown between top-ranked LSU and No. 2 Alabama, provided both teams take care of business this weekend of course.
A game that would be dripping with SEC and national title implications deserves a slot in primetime, with little distraction from less meaningful games (too much?).
Unfortunately, the game is currently scheduled for a 3:30 ET kickoff. Fortunately for any fan of college football, that could change.
Chatter we’ve received in recent days has indicated that the game could be shifted from the afternoon to the evening. WAFB-TV, the Baton Rouge CBS affiliate, takes the speculation a step further, reporting Friday afternoon that their network will likely move the game and turn it into a primetime kickoff.
The station writes that “the possible move is contingent on both LSU and Alabama winning their games this Saturday” against Auburn and Tennessee, respectively.
An LSU official told the Baton Rouge Advocate that they have been in contact with the SEC about the possibility of switching to a nighttime kickoff. The issue, though, is between a pair of networks.
CBS is permitted by contract to show just one night game per season, and the network opted to show the Oct. 1 Alabama-Florida game in primetime. In order to move the Alabama-LSU, CBS would need to work out some type of deal with ESPN, another of the conference’s broadcast partners. Such a deal could consist of ESPN allowing CBS to move the game to primetime in exchange for “considerations” on next year’s slate of SEC games.
It’s unclear when a decision will be made; both schools have a bye next weekend, giving the two broadcast entities plenty of time to work something out that’s satisfactory to both parties. And is good for the fans of college football.