Questions and topics may vary from year to year at the SEC’s spring meetings, which begin Tuesday in Destin, Florida. But there was a recurring theme.
The SEC believes it is the best sports conference in the country. And its commissioner invariably reminds the conference members of this, in subtle or not-so-subtle oratory, before the meetings close.
This same message was sent even when the SEC was not the top conference in the country. Now that the SEC has become so strong in so many sports, the reminders hardly seem necessary.
The addition of Texas and Oklahoma this year will make a powerful conference even more powerful. These programs should feel comfortable in a league that promotes itself with the slogan: “The SEC just means more.”
It’s not like the Longhorns and Sooners need an ego boost. Never mind that Texas last won a national football championship in 2005 or that the Sooners haven’t reigned supreme in football since Tennessee coach Josh Heupel was their quarterback. Neither program ever suffered from a lack of self-esteem.
Texas often dominated the old Southwest Conference. Oklahoma was rarely challenged in the Big Eight — which eventually expanded into the Big 12 — except when Nebraska’s dynasty sometimes pushed it into second place.
The Longhorns and Sooners won’t just bolster the SEC’s presence in football. They will strengthen the conference across multiple sports. This is significant because the league no longer aspires to be best only in the sport that matters most. You want to be the best at everything.
SEC baseball is already dominant on a national level. Oklahoma and Texas will help make them equally dominant in softball.
There is a lot of uncertainty in college sports right now. In fact, college football has essentially become professional football. Basketball is not far behind.
Players are making money from their name, image and likeness. They are sure to earn much more in the future. Furthermore, they can be transferred for free without penalty. And the destination of the transfer is often determined by the best NIL deal they can get.
Not all schools will be able to maintain it. Not all conferences.
But if everything blew up, how could anyone doubt that the SEC would be the last conference standing?
Imagine if the SEC had to act alone. Would that be so bad?
You got a taste of “all-SEC football” in 2020 when COVID altered the sports landscape. That 10-game football season was all SEC all the way.
So what if you missed some attractive non-conference matchups in September? You also didn’t have to endure all those out-of-conference mismatches that typically lighten the load on SEC teams early in the season.
The SEC could split into four four-team divisions and end a regular season with its own championship playoff. Does anyone think this wouldn’t produce large television ratings?
The SEC playoffs in basketball, baseball and softball would also be attractive. Instead of one-off matchups or a double-elimination tournament, teams could play a best-of-two-of-three – or three-of-five – series as they progress through the reach round on the way to deciding a champion.
I don’t expect that to happen. However, if that were the case, I wouldn’t mind watching it.
ADAM: Why Tennessee football could benefit from not playing in the SEC Championship
There has been considerable speculation that college football will eventually form a “super conference,” perhaps made up primarily of teams from the SEC and Big Ten.
In fact, the super conference is already here. That’s exactly what the SEC became when it added Texas and Oklahoma.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He can be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.
This article originally appeared in the Knoxville News Sentinel: Why the SEC is already a super conference. You don’t need anyone else
