I liked the old SEC football league...

[turbovol]

Commercialism--and this crass, desperate scramble by everybody (leagues, schools) for a bigger slice of the TV broadcast-rights piece--is ruining college football. The conferences are now WAY too big (16 and 18-team conferences are ABSURD) and have largely lost their geographic integrity, rivalries are disappearing, there are too many games, the expanded playoff idea is stupid (just another obvious money grab; with the four best teams last year, the title game was a joke) and players (who are already getting a free education and other bennies worth more than $250K over four years) want more free money. It's all fairly disgusting.

 

[95 Vol Alum]

players (who are already getting a free education and other bennies worth more than $250K over four years) want more free money. It's all fairly disgusting.

Free money? They’re the ones playing the games. Lulz

 

[Credo2]

They opened this Pandora’s box when they let Mizzou in. Get a freaking map out people

 

[LouderVol]

Commercialism--and this crass, desperate scramble by everybody (leagues, schools) for a bigger slice of the TV broadcast-rights piece--is ruining college football. The conferences are now WAY too big (16 and 18-team conferences are ABSURD) and have largely lost their geographic integrity, rivalries are disappearing, there are too many games, the expanded playoff idea is stupid (just another obvious money grab; with the four best teams last year, the title game was a joke) and players (who are already getting a free education and other bennies worth more than $250K over four years) want more free money. It's all fairly disgusting.

it was everybody wanting to see every game on TV that caused this. The demand out grew the old supply, and had to change in a major way.

 

[GreyWolf1129]

The SEC remains a fully regional conference. Not sure why some folks think it isn't.

Whether you define "southeast" geometrically (every SEC school, present and future, is southeast of Lebanon, Kansas, the geographic center of the lower 48) ... or culturally (every SEC state either seceded from the Union in 1861 or was a "border state" like Kentucky and Missouri--Oklahoma being an exception because they weren't a state yet), every member of the conference belongs.

View attachment 586165

View attachment 586166

Contrast that with the B10, whose footprint is the Mid-west but now includes schools from both coasts (Maryland, New Jersey, California, Oregon, and Washington).

Or the Atlantic Coast Conference, with California and Texas teams.

Or the B12, a Great Plains conference, with West Virginia, Florida, and Ohio schools.

So only the SEC and Pac-12 remain regional. And the Pac-12 only has 2 members starting next year. Heh.

So yep, this may not be the "Old SEC league" of our grandfathers' day, but it alone has maintained regional integrity.

Go Vols!

You are of course correct, but…

In my narrow-minded world, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklamoma, and the Texas twins will “nevah” be in the Southeast.

 

[ZippyMorocco]

I loved it before the first expansion. The UGA at UK game was always played on Breeders' Cup weekend. It was my favorite road trip. We would go to Keenland, get liquored up, bet on the ponies all day, then go to Commonwealth for the game.

 

[zjcvols]

We only played 6 conference games.
Only played Georgia, Florida, LSU, Mississippi State every 7 years.
Florida and Georgia rivalries weren't even on the radar.
Finished every year with Ole Miss, UK and Vandy teams that were mostly terrible.

I don't see how what we have today isn't a net positive.

I will be on board when the SEC sacks up and plays 9 conference games like men