Florida’s first three football games will be on ESPN

Posted Jul 16, 2012 by TBO.com

Updated Jul 16, 2012 at 01:46 PM

By DAVID JONES
Florida Today

GAINESVILLE—ESPN announced Monday it has picked up Florida’s first three football games in the 2012 season _ highlighted by the Sept. 8 SEC opener against Texas A&M in College Station.

It will be the Aggies’ first conference game since joining the league via expansion in the offseason. Kickoff will be at 3:30 p.m.

ESPN also picked up the Gators’ Sept. 1 season opener against Bowling Green. The opener is traditionally played in the evening hours because of the Florida heat but the network scheduled this year’s game for 3:30 p.m.

The starting tme could cause issues for players and fans, as well, as temperatures on the field could exceed 100 degrees during that time of year in the afternoon hours.

Florida’s Sept. 15 road game at Tennessee was also picked up by ESPN and the kickoff is at 6 p.m. CBS elected to pass on the game, a rarity, to televise the Arkansas-Alabama contest instead. That contest figures to be between two Top 10 teams.