It’s time to coordinate your Fall calendar. The SEC released the conference and Georgia’s 2025 schedule game times this week. Unlike the Big Ten, the SEC once again proves it understood the assignment. Georgia dominated college football viewership in 2024, averaging 8.6 million viewers per game, outpacing Ohio State by 1.8 million. Georgia was the most-watched team in college football in 2024. The Dawgs were in 10 of the 50 most-watched games in 2024. Unlike the Big Ten, which continues to put its flagship program at noon, the SEC is putting their teams in primetime viewing windows, late afternoon and evening. Let’s take a look at Georgia’s 2025 schedule so you can plan your apple picking and honey-dos accordingly.
Must See TV: Georgia’s 2025 Schedule Game Times Released
B1G Noon
October 4: Kentucky, ABC or ESPN TBA – Noon
November 8: @Mississippi State, ABC or ESPN – Noon
November 22: Charlotte, SECN– 12:45 p.m.
Just three of Georgia’s 12 games will kick off before the late-afternoon window in 2025. That is a big win for Georgia fans who have had to sit through too many early noon or 12:45 PM kicks on ESPN or the SEC Network. ABC’s deal with the SEC has greatly benefited fans and the league, especially during those early kickoffs. The media deal gives the network options. Where do we want to show the game? ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, SEC Network, or ESPN+/SECN+? They will also stagger the start times for SEC Network games to move off the packed noon time slot to 12:45 p.m. or even 2:00 p.m.
Afternoon Delights
August 30: Marshall, ESPN – 3:30 p.m.
September 6: Austin Pey, ESPN+/SECN+ – 3:30 p.m.
September 13: @Tennessee, ESPN – 3:30 p.m.
November 1: Florida, ESPN – 3:30 p.m. (Jacksonville)
November 28: Georgia Tech, ESPN – 3:30 p.m. (Atlanta)
The 3:30 p.m./2:30 p.m. time slot used to be gold for the Southeastern Conference. The theme song was legendary—instantly recognizable, synonymous with the biggest and best game of the weekend, it was SEC football. Uncle Vern (Lunquist) was there to make the biggest calls. Gary Danielson was there to irritate fans outside of Tuscaloosa. It was just special. The 3:30 p.m. time slot just doesn’t hit the same for CBS. I’m sure Iowa and Minnesota are great, ok maybe not…3:30 p.m. has now become the appetizer in the SEC and is usually the second-biggest game of the weekend. Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), and Molly McGrath (sideline) are there to take us through the games.
3:30 p.m. is the new home for Georgia’s 2025 schedule. Three of Georgia’s biggest rivals, Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia Tech, will all be 3:30 p.m. kicks. Neyland at night would have been electric at night, but we will take the afternoon delight. The Cocktail Party has a standing reservation in that window, and it is great to see the rivalry with the trade school on North Avenue stay out of that early window.
SEC Saturday Nights
September 27: Alabama, ESPN – 7:30 p.m.
October 11: @Auburn, TBA – Night
Sweet home Alabama, the television ratings are surely going to love you. SEC night games are special. We have all day to tailgate and enjoy one another’s company over a beverage and a tasty snack. The lights get turned up a little bit brighter, and the games mean just a little bit more. We knew Georgia and Alabama were going to kick at night. No doubt, we will have a blackout again in Sanford Stadium stands, but let’s hope the boys are wearing red and black. We’ve seen that funeral before. Jordan Hare can be weird at night. As much as we can doubt Hugh Freeze, nobody can doubt the swag surfing at night. The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry will be kicked up a notch in October.
SEC Flex
October 18: Ole Miss, TBA – FLEX
November 14: Texas, TBA – FLEX
The biggest flex the SEC has over the B1G is the FLEX. The Big Ten has Fox, CBS, and NBC draft their games. It often makes for settling and games that a network really may or may not want. The SEC doesn’t have that problem. They are all in the same network family and do not have to tie their games to a time slot or network. The Flex games can be shown in the 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. time slot OR the 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. time slot. They can also be shown on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, or the SEC Network. These options provide ABC with the ability to move their teams and games into the most advantageous time slots.
The Ole Miss and Texas games are going to be must-see TV and probably will command 10-12 million eyeballs. If Lane Kiffin and the Rebels slip up, that game can get moved to ESPN or the SEC Network. But if the Lane Train is humming, that game can easily go to ABC. By the way, we cannot wait for Arch to come back to Sanford Stadium. We still remember the Spike Squad with “We Want Arch” proudly painted on their chests.
Main Image: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
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