The SEC announced the television schedule for the first three weeks of the season today. We already knew that the Clemson opener would be a night game (8:00 p.m. on ABC). We weren’t so lucky with the SEC opener. The September 7th game against South Carolina in Athens has been slotted for a 4:30 p.m. start, and ESPN will televise the game.

If you’re wondering why ESPN wouldn’t take such a big game for a primetime night slot, the invaluable lsufootball.net comprehensive TV listing tells us that ESPN has already scheduled Notre Dame-Michigan for the 7:00 p.m. night slot on September 7th. ABC is tied up with NASCAR that night, so that isn’t an option either. CBS, as usual, won’t have a game until the third week of the season when they launch their 2013 SEC coverage with Alabama-Texas A&M.

The Bulldogs have a bye in the third week of the season.