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The Iron Bowl has aired on CBS 12 times in the last 14 years, and every year since 2008. However, that will come to an end this season.
The Egg Bowl is the rivalry that will be on display nationally on Thanksgiving weekend.
It is the first time Ole Miss versus Mississippi State will air on broadcast television since 1964, when the game was on NBC.
Current rules between the network and the SEC limit the CBS to five selections of an individual school per season, according to Hugh Kellenberger of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, and Saturday’s game against Mississippi State will be Alabama’s fifth this season (Florida, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and LSU).
CBS gets the first selection of each week’s games, but can’t choose the Iron Bowl as its selection. CBS has locked in both its Friday game and Saturday time slots.
It will be an ESPN game, the network announced Monday.
CBS’ only way of televising the Iron Bowl over the Egg Bowl would have been to strike a deal with the Worldwide Leader. ESPN holds the rights to Alabama games after Nov. 15, according to SEC spokesman Chuck Dunlap.
Alabama’s matchup with Mississippi State this weekend will determine a lot about which game holds more implications. A win this weekend for the Bulldogs would mean at least a share of the SEC West. A win by Alabama this weekend, however, could send the division into a tailspin, with a scenario in which all four teams could be tied atop the SEC West at 6-2.
Radio host Ryan Brown of WJOX in Birmingham laid out a few scenarios for ESPN:
CBS owns exclusive network rights, so no ABC for the Iron Bowl but Fowler and Herbstreit could still do the game on ESPN. @stevenbk
— Ryan Brown (@RyanBrownWJOX) November 10, 2014
I would also think, if Alabama beats Mississippi State, @CollegeGameDay may return for the Iron Bowl. Not a ton of other choices that week. — Ryan Brown (@RyanBrownWJOX) November 10, 2014
The network perhaps could have reached an agreement for its Friday afternoon slot; CBS has scheduled the Battle Line Rivalry featuring Arkansas and Missouri.
CBS also chose Arkansas-Mizzou on Friday after Thanksgiving when it could have had Egg Bowl then. Bad year for CBS scheduler.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravisBGID) November 10, 2014
After living in Birmingham, Ala., Jordan left the ground zero of SEC Nation to head south to Florida to tell the unique stories of the renowned tradition of SEC football. In his free time, his mission is to find the best locales around.
