We’ve been getting a few phone calls and emails at the station, asking us to air the Vikings-Lions game this Sunday, but due to the NFL’s rules, we can’t.

There are a variety of rules governing the broadcasts, which network they are on and which games can be shown.

One of those states, basically, that when a team is playing at home on one network, another network can’t air a different game at the same time.

Which is brings us to this Sunday.

A) The Packers are at home against Cincinnati at noon. For AFC vs. NFC games, the game is assigned to the network of the visiting team. In this case, CBS gets the game.

B) The Vikings play at Detroit at noon. Both are NFC teams, so the game is on FOX.

C) It is a CBS doubleheader Sunday, meaning FOX stations can only air one game.

D) Because the Packers are at home, we can’t air any of the noon NFC games. (The other choices, incidentally, are New Orleans vs. Philadelphia, St. Louis vs. Washington, Carolina vs. Atlanta, and Arizona vs. Jacksonville)

E) FOX 11 is airing the Seattle vs. San Francisco game at 3 pm. The other possibility would be Tampa Bay vs. Buffalo, but we were assigned the other game by FOX.

F) The rules governing broadcast stations do not affect the NFL Sunday Ticket package (in terms of out-of-town teams), so you might be able to find a sports bar showing the Vikings & Lions.

I hope that helps explain the situation this Sunday.

As for getting to watch the Vikings or Lions, there are several games we plan to air. Assignments change based on records, etc. and the NFL’s flexible scheduling rules kick in for the last seven weeks (but that’s another column). Our initial schedule this week had us airing the Tampa-Buffalo game, for example, but then changed this week.

Here’s the tentative list of games on FOX 11 for the rest of the season, but – and I can’t stress this enough – these are not written in stone for the non-Packers games.

WEEK 3 Sunday 09/27/09
Noon – Green Bay @ St. Louis

WEEK 4 Sunday 10/04/09
Noon – Detroit @ Chicago
3PM – Dallas @ Denver

WEEK 5 Sunday 10/11/09
Noon – Minnesota @ St. Louis

WEEK 6 Sunday 10/18/09
Noon – Detroit @ Green Bay

WEEK 7 Sunday 10/25/09
Noon – Green Bay @ Cleveland
3PM – Atlanta @ Dallas

WEEK 8 Sunday 11/01/09
Noon – Minnesota @ Green Bay
3PM – NY Giants @ Philadelphia

WEEK 9 Sunday 11/08/09
Noon – Green Bay @ Tampa Bay

WEEK 10 Sunday 11/15/09
Noon – Detroit @ Minnesota
3PM – Dallas @ Green Bay

WEEK 11 Sunday 11/22/09
Noon – San Francisco @ Green Bay

WEEK 12- Thursday 11/26/09
11:30AM – Green Bay @ Detroit

WEEK 12 Sunday 11/29/09
Noon – Chicago @ Minnesota
3PM – Game assignment is TBD due to Flexible Scheduling

WEEK 13 Sunday 12/06/09
Noon – St. Louis @ Chicago
3PM – Minnesota at Arizona

WEEK 14 Sunday 12/13/09
Noon – Green Bay @ Chicago

WEEK 15 Sunday 12/20/09
Noon – Green Bay @ Pittsburgh
3PM – Game assignment is TBD due to Flexible Scheduling

WEEK 16 Sunday 12/27/09
Noon – Seattle @ Green Bay

WEEK 17 Sunday 01/03/10
Noon – Game assignment is TBD due to Flexible Scheduling
3:15PM- Green Bay @ Arizona

And, finally, if you are curious about game distribution, here’s a link you might be interested in. A fan creates national maps based on the network assignments. It gives you an idea of who is seeing which game.

http://the506.com/nflmaps/

As always, if you have any questions, please let me know.