SEC on CBS opener is set

CBS announced Wednesday that it will kick off its coverage of Southeastern Conference football this season on Sept. 17 with Auburn welcoming Penn State for the first time to Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The Tigers and Nittany Lions had split two bowl games but had never met in the regular season until last year, when Auburn traveled to Happy Valley and lost 28-20.

CBS will again have 3:30 p.m. Eastern telecasts and will again have two doubleheaders, with the first doubleheader taking place Oct. 8 with games at 3:30 and 8. Tennessee’s trip to LSU and Auburn’s venture to Georgia are the most likely candidates for the 3:30 window Oct. 8, and is there any doubt the network will use its lone primetime broadcast on Texas A&M’s journey to Alabama given the recent exchange between coaches Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher?

Last year’s Alabama-Texas A&M matchup in College Station was the CBS primetime broadcast and lost some luster when the Aggies entered with consecutive losses to Arkansas and Mississippi State, but Texas A&M pulled off a 41-38 stunner to hand Saban his first loss against a former assistant in 26 tries.

CBS will use its annual noon-3:30 doubleheader on Nov. 12.

The Georgia-Florida game in Jacksonville will be televised by CBS on Oct. 29, as will the Arkansas-Missouri game in Columbia on Friday, Nov. 25. CBS will televise the SEC championship game on Dec. 3, which will again have a 4 p.m. kickoff, and will conclude its college football coverage with the Army-Navy game Dec. 10 and the Sun Bowl on Dec. 30.