SEC Network Debuts Thursday at 6 p.m. ET

The SEC Network is set to start on Thursday. Earlier today, the Fang’s Bites podcast had Peter Burns as a guest and he’ll be involved with the debut of the network and the inaugural show, SEC Now which will air when the channel hits the air at 6 p.m. ET across the country.

Dari Nowkhah and Maria Taylor will co-host the program and toss to various guests, analysts and reporters across the SEC footprint. Burns will be on the LSU campus and will talk with football coach Les Miles.

Also on the set at the SEC Network headquarters in Charlotte, NC will be Brent Musburger and Paul Finebaum.

In addition to SEC Now’s debut, we have the schedule for the first two weeks on the network.

SEC Network Flips the Switch Thursday at 6 p.m. with SEC Now Debut

Mannings, O’Neal among 31 Voices to Welcome the Network; Live Reports from all 14 Campuses

On Thursday, Aug. 14, at 6 p.m. ET, sports fans nationwide will experience SEC Network, a 24/7 multiplatform sports network devoted to the Southeastern Conference and operated by ESPN.  The network will debut with its flagship news and information show SEC Now live from all 14 SEC campuses. Sports of all seasons will be showcased in the three-hour special sharing the passion, beauty and treasure trove of champions stowed up in SEC country.

Notable figures on and off the field, lent their voices in an opening essay that speaks to the tradition, pageantry and storied history of the SEC. Peyton, Eli and Archie Manning, Shaquille O’Neal, Dara Torres and Joe Namath are among the 31 voices that will ring for the SEC. Their words will be the first etched in SEC Network history. They will be expanded upon over the course of the show – and the year ahead – by a talented pool of SEC Network commentators, 15 of which are involved in the opening show. In total, the premiere night will include 21 anchors, reporters and analysts in studio and reporting live from campuses.

The show will feature a diversity of sports coverage, a host of SEC Network experts, high-end features, behind-the-scenes access and sit-down interviews – backbone elements for the regularly schedule SEC Now show.

Highlights of the debut special:

  • Faces of SEC Now: Hosts Dari Nowkhah and Maria Taylor will anchor the first live show from the network’s Charlotte, N.C., studios. They will be joined by broadcasting legend Brent Musburger as well as Paul Finebaum, Greg McElroy and Booger McFarland
  • Live Whip Around Reporting: Analysts, reporters and even a SportsCenter anchor will be dispersed and reporting live from the following SEC locations:  Marcus Spears (Alabama), Niki Noto (Arkansas), Rece Davis (Auburn), Joe Tessitore (Florida), Tim Tebow (Florida), Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia), Laura Rutledge (Kentucky), Peter Burns (LSU), Ben McDonald (LSU), Tony Barnhart (Mississippi State), John Anderson (Missouri), Kaylee Hartung (Ole Miss), Shannon Spake (South Carolina), Ryan McGee (Tennessee), Kayce Smith (Texas A&M) and Jessica Mendoza (Vanderbilt)
  • All-Access:Go inside football camps with wired coaches; listen live at Mississippi State practice with Coach Dan Mullen, stride alongside Florida’s walkthrough with coach Will Muschamp and shout with Yell Leaders at Aggies Yell practice
  • Features:Auburn offensive lineman Shon Coleman was sidelined in 2011 and 2012 while fighting leukemia. Coleman returned last September and is battling for the starting left tackle position vacated by Greg Robinson, the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft
  • Highlights:Live look-ins and highlights from in-progress soccer matches UAB at Vanderbilt and Creighton at Arkansas
  • Interviews: Sit down with coaches that represent 10 total championships, including  five defending championship coaches from within the SEC’s 21-sponsored sports; Spears interviews his former LSU coach, now head coach at Alabama, Nick Saban; Tebow returns to Gainesville to interview Florida’s quarterback Jeff Driskel

SEC Now will be immediately followed with the SEC Storied debut of “The Stars are Aligned” at 9 p.m.

And here’s the schedule for the first two weeks.

Aug 14 – 28 Schedule Highlights:

Date Time (ET) Programming
Thu, Aug. 14 6 p.m. SEC Now
  9 p.m. SEC Storied: The Stars Are Aligned
Fri, Aug. 15 2 a.m. BEST OF ALABAMA
2009 SEC Championship (vs. Florida)
2012 SEC Championship (vs. Georgia)
2013 Alabama vs. Texas A&M
2013 BCS Championship (vs. Notre Dame)
  1 p.m. Men’s Basketball: Kentucky vs. Dominican Republic
Dave Neal & Jay Bilas
  3 p.m. The Paul Finebaum Show
  8 p.m. SEC Nation Special
  9 p.m. Georgia Football Preview
  9:30 p.m. Florida Football Preview
  11 p.m. BEST OF GEORGIA
2007 Georgia vs. Auburn2013 Georgia vs. LSU
2007 Georgia vs. Alabama
2007 Georgia vs. Florida
Sat, Aug. 16 7 a.m. SEC Football BCS Championships
1999 Fiesta Bowl (FSU vs. Tennessee) 2004 Sugar Bowl (LSU vs. Oklahoma)2007 BCS National Championship (Florida vs. Ohio State)*below games begin at 3 p.m.

2008 BCS National Championship (LSU vs. Ohio State)
2009 BCS National Championship (Florida vs. Oklahoma)
2010 BCS National Championship (Alabama vs. Texas)
2011 BCS National Championship (Auburn vs. Oregon)
2012 BCS National Championship (LSU vs. Alabama)                      2013 BCS National Championship (Alabama vs. Notre Dame)

  1 p.m. Men’s Basketball: Kentucky vs. Champagne Chalons-Reims Basket
Dave Neal & Jay Bilas
Sun, Aug. 17 3 a.m. BEST OF VANDERBILT
2013 Vanderbilt vs. Georgia
2008 Vanderbilt vs. Auburn
2006 Vanderbilt vs. Georgia
2012 Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee
  11 a.m. SEC Heisman Football Games
1997 Sugar Bowl (Florida vs. Florida State) – Danny Wuerffel
*below games begin at 3 p.m.
2010 Auburn vs. Alabama – Cam Newton
2012 Texas A&M vs. Alabama – Johnny Manziel
2008 SEC Championship (Florida vs. Alabama) – Tebow & Ingram
  1 p.m. Men’s Basketball: Kentucky vs. Dominican Republic
Dave Neal & Jay Bilas
  9 p.m. Trophy Lives: Heisman Winners of the SEC
  10 p.m. SEC Rewind: 1980 South Carolina at Georgia
  Midnight Best of Mississippi State
SEC Storied: Croom
2010 Mississippi State vs. Georgia
2009 Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss
2013 Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss
2011 Gator Bowl (vs. Michigan)
Mon, Aug. 18 3 p.m. The Paul Finebaum Show
  7 p.m. SEC Now
  8 p.m. Mississippi State Football Preview
  8:30 p.m. Ole Miss Football Preview
  Midnight BEST OF OLE MISS
SEC Storied:Book of Manning
2008 Ole Miss vs. Florida
2002 Ole Miss vs. Florida
2003 Ole Miss vs. Auburn
2013 Ole Miss vs. LSU
Tue, Aug. 19 3 p.m. The Paul Finebaum Show
  7 p.m. SEC Now
  8 p.m. Tennessee Football Preview
  8:30 p.m. Vanderbilt Football Preview
  Midnight BEST OF TENNESSEE
2012 SEC Storied: Pat X.0
2004 Tennessee vs. Florida
2005 Tennessee vs. LSU
2013 Tennessee vs. South Carolina
2007 Tennessee vs. Kentucky
Wed, Aug. 20 3 p.m. The Paul Finebaum Show
  7 p.m. SEC Now
  8 p.m. Kentucky Football Preview
  8:30 p.m. Missouri Football Preview
  Midnight BEST OF KENTUCKY
SEC Storied: Going Big2007 Kentucky vs. LSU
2010 Kentucky vs. South Carolina
2009 Kentucky vs. Georgia
2007 Kentucky vs. Louisville
Thu, Aug. 21 3 p.m. The Paul Finebaum Show
  7 p.m. SEC Now
  8 p.m. Alabama Football Preview
  8:30 p.m. Auburn Football Preview
  9 p.m. SEC STORIED: Bo, Barkley, & The Big Hurt
  Midnight BEST OF AUBURN
SEC Storied: Bo, Barkley and The Big Hurt
2013 Auburn vs. Georgia
2009 BCS Championship (vs. Oregon)
SEC Storied: Bo, Barkley and The Big Hurt
2013 Auburn vs. Alabama (airing noon – 2 p.m.)
Fri, Aug. 22 3 p.m. The Paul Finebaum Show
  7 p.m. SEC Soccer: Georgia at Ole Miss
  9 p.m. SEC Now
  10 p.m. LSU Football Preview
  10:30 p.m. Arkansas Football Preview
  Midnight BEST OF FLORIDA
SEC Storied: Abby Head On
2007 BCS Championship (vs. Ohio State)
2006 SEC Championship (vs. Arkansas)
2009 BCS Championship (vs. Oklahoma)
2008 SEC Championship (vs. Alabama)
Sat, Aug. 23 2 P.M. 2014 SEC Spring Football Games
  7 p.m. South Carolina Football Preview
  7:30 p.m. Texas A&M Football Preview
  Midnight BEST OF LSU
SEC Storied: Lolo
2007 LSU vs. Florida
2007 LSU vs. Auburn
2011 LSU vs. Alabama
2008 LSU vs. Ohio State
Sun, Aug. 24 10 p.m. SEC Rewind: 2001 Arkansas at Ole Miss
  Midnight BEST OF ARKANSAS
SEC Storied: 40 Minutes of Hell
2007 Arkansas vs. LSU
2006 Arkansas vs. Tennessee
2007 Arkansas vs. South Carolina
2010 Arkansas vs. LSU
Mon, Aug. 25 3 p.m. The Paul Finebaum Show
  7 p.m. SEC Now
  8 p.m. All-Access
  8:30 p.m. All-Access
  Midnight BEST OF MISSOURI
2005 Independence Bowl (vs. South Carolina)
2007 Missouri vs. Kansas
2010 Missouri vs. Oklahoma
2012 Missouri vs. Tennessee
Tue, Aug. 26 3 p.m. The Paul Finebaum Show
  7 p.m. SEC Now
  8 p.m. All-Access
  8:30 p.m. All-Access
  Midnight BEST OF SOUTH CAROLINA
2010 South Carolina vs. Alabama
2012 South Carolina vs. Georgia
2010 South Carolina vs. Florida
2013 South Carolina vs. Missouri 
Wed, Aug. 27 3 p.m. The Paul Finebaum Show
  7 p.m. SEC Now
  8 p.m. SEC Storied: The Believer
  Midnight BEST OF TEXAS A&M
2012 Texas A&M vs. Alabama2012 Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss
2012 Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State
2013 Chick-fil-a Bowl (vs. Duke)
Thu, Aug. 28 3 p.m. The Paul Finebaum Show
  4 p.m. SEC Nation
  6 p.m. SEC Football: Texas A&M at South Carolina
  9:15 p.m. SEC Football: Temple at Vanderbilt

That is all.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013. He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television. Fang celebrates the three Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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