This week, all eyes are on Dallas, Texas, as the city hosts the 2024 SEC Media Days. Commissioner Greg Sankey was first on stage and made his mark quickly. According to him, “It means more” isn’t just a conference slogan — it’s the truth.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey Has No Love Lost for Other College Football Conferences at Media Days
In his introductory remarks, Sankey discussed realignment, NIL, and the state of the SEC. But one comment stood out above the rest: “We are the one conference where the name still means something.”
That certainly perked up the nine other FBS conferences’ ears.
Fans instantly took to X to respond, with most pointing to recent additions Texas and Oklahoma not fitting the “Southeastern Conference” name. However, Sankey predicted that response, following up the previous statement with:
“When we expanded, we actually restored historic rivalries while adding only 100 miles to the longest campus-to-campus trip our student-athletes will experience.”
Of course, when looking at a map of all 16 teams in the conference, a few members stretch the “southeast” label.
Among Power Four conferences, the Big 12 and ACC have done a decent job of keeping their teams in the same general geographical locations, but the Big Ten is all over the place, especially with their additions of West Coast programs Washington, Oregon, UCLA, and USC.
But in terms of on-field product, the SEC clears the competition. The league has produced six national champions since the College Football Playoff was introduced in 2014, four more than any other conference (two apiece for the Big Ten and ACC). And during the BCS era (1998-2013), the SEC had nine title winners, also most in the FBS.
KEEP READING: 2024 SEC Power Rankings
When including realignment, the SEC had eight teams in the final AP Top 25 last season, ahead of the Big Ten (six), ACC (five), and Big 12 (four). There will likely be a similar order in 2024, with former Alabama head coach Nick Saban believing the conference has 6-7 teams that could make the newly expanded 12-team CFP.
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