ESPN snubs Egg Bowl again
Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 3:48 pm
ESPN snubs Egg Bowl again
By Ian R. Rapoport
STARKVILLE — For the second straight year, the Egg Bowl will not be played on Thanksgiving Day and won't be shown on ESPN.
Like last season, the Mississippi State-Ole Miss football game will be played on the Saturday afternoon following the Thursday holiday, MSU athletic director Larry Templeton said today.
For the 27 years prior to 1998, the rivalry game was played on Saturday. From 1998 to 2003, ESPN carried the Battle for the Golden Egg for a national audience, on Thanksgiving Day. But last season, the 20-3 Ole Miss win on a Saturday in Oxford was not televised.
There had been discussions with the network to return it to Thanksgiving Day — Nov. 24 — for the 2005 season.
But ESPN's college football program director Dave Brown picked West Virginia-Pittburgh instead, according to Templeton. The Egg Bowl is tentatively set for Nov. 26 at Scott Field. There is a possibility that the regional network Jefferson Pilot could pick up the game for its TV broadcast.
Templeton is disappointed ESPN isn't returning for the Egg Bowl.
"I think it's been great exposure for our state," Templeton said. "I hate to give it up. But a lot of other people wanted that window (of national television time)."
ESPN did tell Templeton that it won't rule out a Thanksgiving Day game in the future. "The window is open down the road for it going back to Thursday night," Templeton said.
By Ian R. Rapoport
STARKVILLE — For the second straight year, the Egg Bowl will not be played on Thanksgiving Day and won't be shown on ESPN.
Like last season, the Mississippi State-Ole Miss football game will be played on the Saturday afternoon following the Thursday holiday, MSU athletic director Larry Templeton said today.
For the 27 years prior to 1998, the rivalry game was played on Saturday. From 1998 to 2003, ESPN carried the Battle for the Golden Egg for a national audience, on Thanksgiving Day. But last season, the 20-3 Ole Miss win on a Saturday in Oxford was not televised.
There had been discussions with the network to return it to Thanksgiving Day — Nov. 24 — for the 2005 season.
But ESPN's college football program director Dave Brown picked West Virginia-Pittburgh instead, according to Templeton. The Egg Bowl is tentatively set for Nov. 26 at Scott Field. There is a possibility that the regional network Jefferson Pilot could pick up the game for its TV broadcast.
Templeton is disappointed ESPN isn't returning for the Egg Bowl.
"I think it's been great exposure for our state," Templeton said. "I hate to give it up. But a lot of other people wanted that window (of national television time)."
ESPN did tell Templeton that it won't rule out a Thanksgiving Day game in the future. "The window is open down the road for it going back to Thursday night," Templeton said.