CBS Exec Weighs In On Tebow Departure, Post-Thanksgiving Schedule

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Miss Tim Tebow?

CBS might.

Jon Solomon of The Birmingham News has touched base with CBS Sports executive VP of programming Mike Aresco and the television bigwig says the loss of Tim Tebow could hurt the SEC’s ratings this fall.

“It is going to be different,” Aresco said.  “You don’t have (Tim) Tebow now.  That’s something you notice immediately.  Some of the numbers Tebow was responsible for.  You can’t underestimate star power in television.  Even if we do well in ratings, maybe they’ll be slightly lower.  I guess it’s a question of expectations.  You want people to have reasonable expectations.  Obviously, the very beginning of the season will go a long way toward what kind of season we’ll have.”

On other topics:

* Aresco expects Alabama, Florida and LSU to each appear five times on CBS this fall.

* The Iron Bowl will NOT be played on the Friday after Thanksgiving in 2012.  The two schools moved the game to the Friday slot last year and CBS saw a ratings spike. 

* LSU-Arkansas, Florida-Florida State and/or Georgia-Georgia Tech might fill the Friday afternoon slot in upcoming years… on a rotating basis.

* Aresco says he was glad that major conference realignment didn’t occur this summer.  “I think the SEC is very happy at 12, and they’re a mega-conference at 12 teams.”