This huge announcement by CBS could change how you watch Alabama and Auburn football

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — CBSSports.com announced Monday the network will be streaming the entire 2015 “SEC on CBS” football schedule online, for free.

With a generation rapidly accessing TV shows, movies, news, and other forms of entertainment online, this decision may impact cable providers everywhere, but particularly in the football-loving South.

Last year, The New York Times looked into the South’s relationship with college football, and the impact these relationships have had on the culture, with their ability transform small towns into bustling Saturday-cities, stimulating economies and growing infrastructure. The article even referenced Warren St. John’s book, Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer, in describing the anthropological view of a fan’s relationship with the sport.

The Upshot’s College Football Fan Map, also released by the The New York Times last year, allows for an in depth view of where college football loyalties lie in the United States. The map shows in great detail who college football fans root for depending on their specific location.

The New York Times referenced a Facebook study titled Where College Football is ‘Liked’ Most, this study measured the percent of people on Facbook in each state who ‘like’ a team. The state of Alabama was ranked highest with 35% of the vote.

The announcement is likely welcomed by all college football fans in Alabama, regardless of affiliation, and may be a determining factor for helping fans decide on whether or not they should keep their cable.

A generation of “cord cutters,” or consumers who no longer purchase cable or satellite television in favor of streaming all their entertainment content online, has emerged as the technology introduced by Netflix has become more mainstream. Earlier this year cable TV mainstay HBO announced it would begin selling a subscription service allowing access to all of their content, followed by sports behemoth ESPN making a similar decision.

CBS’s program differs in one distinct way: the content will be free of charge to users.

Here is the current SEC on CBS schedule for the upcoming season (all times Central):

Saturday: Louisville vs. Auburn (Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game; 2:30 p.m.)
Sept. 12: Georgia at Vanderbilt (2:30 p.m.)
Sept. 19: Auburn at LSU (2:30 p.m.)
Sept. 26: SEC Game of the Week (2:30 p.m.)
Oct. 3: SEC Game of the Week (2:30 p.m.)
Oct. 10: SEC Game of the Week (2:30 p.m.)
Oct. 17: SEC Game of the Week (2:30 p.m.)
Oct. 24: SEC Game of the Week (2:30 p.m.)
Oct. 31: Florida vs. Georgia (2:30 p.m.)
Nov. 7: SEC Game of the Week doubleheader (2:30 p.m., 7 p.m.)
Nov. 14: SEC Game of the Week doubleheader (11 a.m., 2:30 p.m.)
Nov. 21: SEC Game of the Week (2:30 p.m.)
Friday, Nov. 27: Missouri vs. Arkansas (1:30 p.m.)
Nov. 28: SEC Game of the Week (2:30 p.m.)
Dec. 5: SEC Championship Game (3 p.m.)

---

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think about this story on Twitter.

— John James (@john_james_20) August 19, 2015