CBS Bows Out Of Bidding For SEC Football, Current Contract Ends In 2023

The money television contracts bring to the SEC are huge dollar figures for the conference and its member institutions, so it's no surprise that the major networks are involved in a bidding war to gain control of that crucial timeslot where for years CBS has featured the premier matchup in the conference each week in the 3:30 EST-2:30 CST slot.

It's now all but a done deal that CBS will not have that time slot after the current contract ends in 2023, if not before.

According to reports by Sports Business Journal, ESPN has outbid CBS to the point where CBS has walked away from negotiations to maintain control of that time.

The bidding for the new package, starting after the 2023 season, is reportedly now north of $300 million per season. The current CBS agreement, which covers the next four seasons is valued at $55 million per season.

While the current contract is valid until after the 2023 season, there is talk ESPN could be set to buy out those four years as well, meaning the end of the SEC on CBS sooner rather than later.

That's quite the jump for both CBS to pay-don't feel sorry for them, they have it should they decide to spend it- and for the conference.

The move to ESPN would mean the loss of some iconic part of both college football and the SEC, but it would also provide more positives for fans.

The move would allow ESPN to set times for early morning, afternoon and night game and show more of the top games when there are multiple marquee matchups in a single weel

Because ESPN and ABC are affiliated, those networks could conceivably have two SEC games both playing in the afternoon timeslot, one on each network meaning more games at the same time across the conference.

How does this impact Vanderbilt, who rarely ever finds itself in the CBS afternoon slot?

Money, and more of it.

The Commodores and the rest of their conference brethren will see another big increase in revenue with this deal, meaning that the planned facilities upgrades we've been hearing about should get a boost in funds, while maybe not before, but certainly after whatever is being planned is complete.

There's no scenario where more money is a bad thing, but saying goodbye to CBS will certainly seem strange for those of us who've watched those afternoon games for years.