Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

CBS reported a 92-percent ratings improvement by subbing Alabama-Auburn for LSU-Arkansas as its day after Thanksgiving game in November 2009. Seems like the network would want to keep the “Iron Bowl” locked into its Friday slot, but that might not be the case.

The Birmingham News reports that LSU-Arkansas could make a return to the Friday immediately after Thanksgiving once the initial two-year deal is up with Alabama-Auburn.

Aresco confirmed the Iron Bowl won't be played on the Friday after Thanksgiving when  the two-year contract for the Alabama-Auburn game expires after this season. Last year's game drew a 4.8 rating, up 92 percent from LSU-Arkansas on that date in 2008. Saban has complained that Alabama has a shorter week to prepare for the game because Auburn is off before the Iron Bowl.

"We definitely don't want them to do it four or six consecutive years," Aresco said. "It was a big hit last year. We may do it again in the future, but this was a two-year term."

Aresco said CBS will look at LSU-Arkansas again on the day after Thanksgiving in 2011 and '12, if the schools are willing. CBS might even consider rotating Florida-Florida State and Georgia-Georgia Tech on that Friday, since the SEC owns the rights to those games in opposite years of each other, Aresco said.

It’s hard to think of many programs that would willingly walk away from a broadcast that drew that well. Of course Alabama under Saban isn’t like most programs.