CBS Sports, SEC embark on 15-year historic deal

CBS SPORTS AND SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE TO KICK OFF HISTORIC 15-YEAR DEAL ON SEPT. 19 WITH BROADCAST OF TENNESSEE-FLORIDA

New Deal Highlighted by CBS Sports' Weekly Selection of SEC Football "Game of the Week"

NEW YORK -- CBS Sports and the Southeastern Conference kick off their historic 15-year contract extension beginning with the 2009 football season and the broadcast of the Tennessee Volunteers taking on the defending national champion Florida Gators on Saturday, Sept. 19 (3:30-7 p.m., ET).

In the new agreement, CBS Sports continues to be the exclusive national network broadcaster of SEC home football games, including the SEC Championship Game. In showcasing the top conference match-ups in the package, CBS Sports will have the first selection each week and will broadcast the "SEC Game of the Week." In addition, CBS Sports continues its coverage of SEC regular-season basketball.

"We are excited to embark on our new long-term football and basketball relationship with the SEC," said Mike Aresco, Executive Vice President, Programming, CBS Sports. "The SEC is the gold standard in college athletics, and we look forward to bringing the SEC football Game of the Week to fans across the country. This historic agreement reinforces the already powerful SEC ON CBS brand."

In its ninth year of national coverage of SEC football, CBS Sports will broadcast a total of 15 games during the network's 12-week season. In addition to the SEC, CBS Sports will broadcast the Army-Navy game on Saturday, Dec. 12, the 76th Sun Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 31 and the Gator Bowl on Friday, Jan. 1, 2010.

Highlights of 2009 schedule include:

All other "SEC Games of the Week" will be announced six-to-12 days prior to their broadcast date.

Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson, along with Tracy Wolfson reporting from the sidelines, serve as CBS Sports' lead college football announce team.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL TODAY, the Network's pre-game, halftime and post-game studio show, will be broadcast in the half-hour format 12 times throughout the season, premiering on Saturday, Sept. 19 (3-3:30 p.m., ET). Hosted by Tim Brando with analyst Spencer Tillman, COLLEGE FOOTBALL TODAY presents highlights of all the day's action.

Craig Silver serves as coordinating producer and Steve Milton is the lead director for the Network's college football broadcasts. Vin DeVito serves as producer for COLLEGE FOOTBALL TODAY, which originates from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City. Harold Bryant is Vice President, Production CBS Sports.

Following are broadcast windows for CBS Sports' 2009 College Football schedule.

SEC "Game of the Week" announced 6 or 12 days prior to broadcast times and games subject to change