ESPN is creating a scheduling conflict for itself on Oct. 17. Four of its biggest games are set to start simultaneously, and the SEC has made its displeasure clear. Two major matchups kick off at 3:30 pm ET, while a third SEC game goes against a primetime Notre Dame contest at 7:30 pm ET. Viewers are left bewildered, with the league’s own TV rights owner being the one behind the confusion.
What the Schedule Actually Looks Like
Three games begin at noon ET to open the weekend. FOX broadcasts No. 5 Ohio State versus No. 7 Indiana. ESPN and ABC handle the other two SEC contests, with No. 16 Florida facing No. 1 Texas and No. 17 Mississippi State going against No. 10 LSU, both at the same time.
The afternoon slate is where things get messy. No. 6 Alabama visits No. 15 Tennessee at 3:30 pm ET on ESPN. No. 14 Missouri faces No. 9 Ole Miss in the same window on ESPN. Then ABC closes the night with No. 3 Notre Dame at No. 8 BYU.
Florida State also travels to face No. 4 Miami that weekend, with a night kickoff. The SEC flex slots are back again, with two games set for prime time.
The SEC’s Own Schedule Release
Fans are genuinely upset, though their anger is somewhat misdirected. The SEC’s schedule has been released in June for years. People who are taken aback by the announcement have simply forgotten that detail. The Florida-Texas game was confirmed over the summer to receive the early treatment, alongside Mississippi State and LSU. Therefore, the shock is actually no surprise at all.
Still, the complaint is understandable. The evening slate is the ‘flex,’ and the SEC is broadcasting two games that will likely draw poor ratings. That is a scheduling decision that hurts the conference’s exposure.
Notre Dame’s Pull
ESPN has chosen to make the most of the fact that Notre Dame will be playing on the road at BYU. The network holds broadcasting rights to Big 12 teams, and showing one of the best teams in the country on its main network during prime time makes perfect sense. With a top-three team heading to Provo to meet a top-ten BYU squad, the matchup offers real potential for advertising success for the network.
The decision makers chose to punt on real competition next weekend. Could ESPN have put its ‘premier’ (Alabama @ Tennessee) game of the day on ESPN and seen who won the ratings war? Sure. It would have made for an interesting comparison. But ESPN is almost assuredly headed for Provo with its College Gameday, and the Ohio State visit to Indiana would also make for great television, even if Big Noon Kickoff on FOX will be in the same location.
The SEC’s Anger With Its Rights Owner
The SEC is a bit agitated with its television rights owner. ABC used Notre Dame for ratings, and the conference is not thrilled about it. The irony is that the SEC wanted the Alabama-Tennessee game at night, and ABC did not deliver.
Tennessee athletic department officials thought that if both teams were strong enough, that game would be held at night. That expectation was not met.
The Ratings Trade-Off
Even with a slight dip in ratings from competing against Notre Dame, ESPN still could have moved at least one of the early-day games into primetime. The two matchups on the schedule, Arkansas @ Vanderbilt and Kentucky @ Oklahoma, are unlikely to fill any cups as viewers settle in for a night of college football. The network is the one responsible for that outcome.
It is understandable for the SEC to feel puzzled and vexed at being represented in ‘primetime’ by two matchups that appear weak on paper. The strange twist is that the Notre Dame contest is the single element that ESPN handled correctly. It is the correct decision in featuring the Fighting Irish, though it remains a grave error in failing to pair them with a rival from the Southeastern Conference.
Remember, two things can be true at the same time.
Key Facts Box
- Oct. 17: Five SEC games on the same day, four starting at the same time
- Noon ET: FOX airs Ohio State at Indiana (FOX)
- Noon ET: ESPN airs Florida at Texas and Mississippi State at LSU
- 3:30 pm ET: ESPN airs Alabama at Tennessee and Missouri at Ole Miss
- 7:30 pm ET: ABC airs Notre Dame at BYU
- SEC flex slots: Two games in prime time
Full Schedule
| Time | Channel | Game |
|---|---|---|
| 12 pm ET | FOX | No. 5 Ohio State at No. 7 Indiana |
| 12 pm ET | ESPN | No. 16 Florida at No. 1 Texas |
| 12 pm ET | ESPN | No. 17 Mississippi State at No. 10 LSU |
| 3:30 pm ET | ESPN | No. 6 Alabama at No. 15 Tennessee |
| 3:30 pm ET | ESPN | No. 14 Missouri at No. 9 Ole Miss |
| 7:30 pm ET | ABC | No. 3 Notre Dame at No. 8 BYU |
It stands to reason that the SEC would feel confused and frustrated that the conferences will be represented in ‘primetime’ by two games that look horrid on paper. The irony is that the Notre Dame game is the one thing ESPN got right. It is the correct choice in showcasing the Fighting Irish, yet it is also a terrible mistake in failing to give them competition from the Southeastern Conference.
Remember, two things can be true at the same time.
Source material: “SEC kickoff-time debate is warranted, but ESPN had to snag Notre Dame with Fox getting the premier rematch,” Fox News.
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