The SEC has steadily grown over the years into arguably the best college football league in the country. Through great coaching, recruiting, and smart decisions from the conference, it has become a powerhouse of college football.
A Deep Dive Into the Strategic Decisions, Media Deals, and Recruiting Wins That Built the SEC
The SEC has long been one of the pillars of college football because of the great work behind the scenes by schools, coaches, and management from the conference.
Great coaches such as Bear Bryant, Nick Saban, Phillip Fulmer, Steve Spurrier, Vince Dooley, Urban Meyer, and Robert Neyland are just some of the great names that graced the stage of SEC football over the decades.
These coaches had outstanding minds for football and were able to recruit legendary players who fit well into each of their programs.
They sold the players and their families about what life would be like as a college football player at their respective schools and molded them into legends.
For example, Fulmer was able to recruit and coach Peyton Manning.
Another example could be Meyer coaching a player like Tim Tebow.
While the relationships between the coaches and their players are significant, the conference has done a fantastic job marketing itself and ensuring that its games are broadcast on the biggest networks.
After years of being broadcast on CBS in the prime afternoon slot, the conference recently made the move to ESPN, where all of their big games are usually put under the spotlight.
The “SEC on ABC” just recently earned a Sports Emmy for its work preparing fans for SEC action on Saturdays. The conference has also done a great job partnering with companies such as Dr. Pepper to help give students free tuition.
That is part of the reason people enjoy the SEC. The conference cares about more than just its athletes, even if it continues to try to market itself. While great coaches, players, and marketing deals have helped the conference tremendously, it all goes back to the fans.
The fans are what make the sport great.
The sport is all about stadiums filled with 100,000 screaming fans and parking lots filled with generations of tailgating football lovers.
KEEP READING: Offseason Grades for All 16 SEC Teams
However, it just means a little bit more in the SEC, especially considering that there aren’t many professional sports teams in the South.
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