SEC Media Day Questions

Like the girl in the Zac Brown Band song, the SEC's got whatever "it" is.

Look no farther than Hoover, Alabama, for proof.

For many southern football fans, SEC Football Media Days kick off the college football season.

The event brings to mind dual pep rallies.

Upstairs at the Winfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, the annual gathering of league coaches, selected players from each school, and hundreds of national and local media could pass for a big, corporate pep rally. Which it is of course.

Downstairs, a hotel lobby-full of fans decked out in team colors and seeking autographs, pictures, or handshakes from coaches and players is much like a college or high school pep rally. Which it is of course.

A pep rally the SEC Media days may be, but they are typically not much with regard to making news.

Coaches are exceptionally well-versed in sticking to scripted answers (although Steve Spurrier cannot help himself on occasion). Players are similarly prepared, their answers so clean and non-controversial, often seeming like young politicians training for future campaign races.

Commissioner Mike Slive is smoother and a more commanding presence than any of the politicians seeking election in this month's primaries. He provides concise, positive information about the conference, and deftly addresses controversial topics.

While breaking news may be rare, there are legitimate questions that can be addressed at these media gatherings.

Here are several I would like to see answered this week (some are on-field related, others deal with off-field topics):

1. How will individual programs and the SEC as a whole address the growing problem of agents jeopardizing the eligibility of players by offering them financial (or other) inducements?

Reggie Bush and USC may be the most notorious characters in this story right now, but with recent news of an agent hosting dozens of returning college stars at a party in south Florida, a true quagmire may be on the near horizon.

2. Are any programs close to breaking the Alabama-Florida stranglehold on the two conference divisions?

The quick answer based on preseason prognostications is an emphatic "NO." Nick Saban at Bama and Urban Meyer with the Gators stand shoulder-to-shoulder astride the top of the league, and none of the other coaches can see above the well-polished shoetops of those two.

3. If the division crowns seem to have been conceded, how does the rest of the league stack up?

In the East, South Carolina is a perennial tease, Georgia has underachieved the past two years, Tennessee is coming off a tumultuous twenty-four months, and the Kentucky-Vandy duo is not near championship caliber (although UK is certainly closer than the Commodores). If things fall into place just right, Carolina and/or Georgia could feasibly take the title (unlikely though).

On the other side, the Crimson Tide faces stronger challengers, but even with significant personnel losses still figures to roll over the rest of the West. Arkansas must learn to play defense, LSU needs consistency under center and on the sidelines, Auburn will have a brand-new signal caller as will Ole Miss, and Mississippi State still lacks the talent to compete over the long, arduous season. A semi-educated guess would place Arkansas and LSU atop the challenger list (scheduling has something to do with that).

4. Who are the most important players in the league this season ... not necessarily the best players - those most important to the success of their respective teams?

Here are four that immediately come to mind:

Aaron Murray - Quarterback Georgia. The highly touted redshirt freshman is the only new starter on offense for the Dogs. Should he play well, Georgia might provide the biggest challenge to Florida.

Stephen Garcia - Quarterback South Carolina. An enigmatic junior (who seems like he has been in Columbia a decade), Garcia needs to make plays and eliminate mistakes to give Steve Spurrier a chance at another championship. If he doesn't the head ball coach figures to have a quick hook.

Dont'a Hightower - Linebacker Alabama. This huge (260 lb) inside linebacker earned freshman All-America honors in 2008, but missed the Tide title season with an injury. Hightower will be counted on to stabilize an Alabama defense that lost eight starters, including his predecessor as emotional leader, Rolando McClain.

Cameron Newton - Quarterback Auburn. Notice a trend here? The SEC lost a whole lot of experienced QBs. Newton is a former Florida transfer and Terrell Pryor look-alike who could pose big problems for defenses if he can master the intricate spread attack of the Tigers.

5. Although it's only July ... what games look to be the premier matchups this fall?

There are quite a few ... here are five listed in predicted order of significance:

Florida at Alabama (October 2): The league's two juggernauts square off at the Capstone. This could be the regular season game of the year ... in the nation, not just the SEC.

Alabama at Arkansas (September 25): If the Hogs hope to take the West, they'll need to stem the Tide in Fayetteville. Arkansas plays at Georgia the week before, while Bama is at Duke, but this is also the Saturday before Alabama-Florida ... so it could be a trap game for Bama.

Georgia at South Carolina (September 11): These two teams should be the main challengers to Florida in the East. Losing this game will not absolutely eliminate one from the race, but will certainly damage title hopes.

Alabama at LSU (November 6): Yet another installment of the Saban-Miles saga. The animosity toward Saban has waned somewhat among Tiger faithful, but if the defending national champs roll into Baton Rouge undefeated, it will be a big time on the bayou.

Clemson at Auburn (September 18): While the game will have no bearing on the conference race, it is a nice ACC-SEC pairing and could be indicative of how much a threat both sets of Tigers will be in their respective leagues.

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Note: Live at the SEC Media Days ... Heisman winner Mark Ingram just finished his remarks. Nick Saban led off the afternoon session after comments from Commissioner Mike Slive. BCS head Bill Hancock spoke to media this morning.

Crumley Interim AD for Dogs

Frank Crumley will serve as interim Athetic Director while the University of Georgia conducts a national search to replace Damon Evans.

Four to Consider for Dogs AD

With the dismissal of Damon Evans, the focus inside the Butts-Mehre Building at the University of Georgia now turns to his successor as Athletic Director.

A familiar firm seems likely to lead the search.

Zach Klein of WSB-TV in Atlanta (he has been at the forefront of coverage since the Evans scandal broke) reports that Parker Executive Search of Atlanta will recommend the new AD. Headed up by Georgia alum Dan Parker, the group is well-respected in college athletics and previously played a significant role in the hiring of Dr. Michael Adams as President, Evans as Athletic Director, and Mark Fox as Men's Basketball coach (although those first two names might not provide much confidence for some Bulldog fans).

While the Parker firm typically keeps a tight lid on research and recommendations, here are pros and cons of four potential search targets, plus two that should be considered. Click on any name for a bio link.

Greg McGarity (Florida)

Pros: Without question, Greg McGarity will be the favored choice of rank-and-file Bulldog fans. A native Athenian, a UGA alum, and a former varsity athlete (tennis), McGarity paid his dues at various assignments within the Georgia athletic department before moving to Florida in 1992. He has an even and friendly disposition, and has worked for two of the premier intercollegiate leaders of the last three decades (Vince Dooley at Georgia and Jeremy Foley at Florida). A safe, seasoned, and sound choice.

Cons: Although McGarity was long gone before the Michael Adams-Vince Dooley saga of the late 1990s, the president might see him as too closely allied with the Bulldog legend.

Eric Hyman (South Carolina)

Pros: The well-respected AD of the Gamecocks has the kind of curriculum vitae that would quickly turn the head of an academician like Michael Adams. Top man in Columbia since 2005, Hyman was formerly athletic director at TCU, Miami of Ohio, and VMI. A prolific fund-raiser and national leader among his peers, Hyman would certainly bring steadiness, experience, and prestige to Athens. He was reportedly a finalist when Evans was hired.

Cons: While Georgia is probably a more nationally recognized department (keep in mind the Gamecocks just won the College Baseball World Series) than SC, the move could be seen as a lateral one. Also, Hyman and his family are Carolinians (he and his wife are UNC grads, and Eric also earned a masters degree at Furman).

Carla (Green) Williams (Georgia)

Pros: A former varsity basketball star for the Lady Dogs, Williams would bring continuity to what appears from the exterior to be a smoothly functioning department. She also carries a bit of academic heft having earned a Ph.D. in sport management from Florida State (although she has never published or presented research to my knowledge). The prospect of naming the first female athletic director in the SEC would probably be appealing to the always image-conscious Adams. It would be difficult seeing her stand up to the powerful president either (which would be a pro for her hiring prospects).

Cons: The hiring of Williams would promote someone young, only moderately experienced, and would come with more than just a whiff of political correctness. Would seem simply a distaff Damon Evans hire to many.

Mark Lewis (Jet Set Sports)

Pros: Do not let the cartoonish company name fool you, Mark Lewis brings more business credentials to the table than any of the other candidates for the position. Son of former Bulldog defensive coordinator Bill Lewis, Mark grew up in Athens, attended Clarke Central High, and was a long-snapper for the Bulldogs. Boasting experience with the U.S. Olympic Committee, at General Electric, and now at Jet Set (an international event planning company for the Olympics), Lewis has overseen budgets that dwarf even that of a large athletic department. Still has ties to Athens as his brother Geoff is a teacher and coach in nearby Oconee County. Lewis would be a somewhat bold choice.

Cons: Lack of experience as an athletic director would be the first that jumps out, although his business background would likely supersede such concerns. One thing he might not be able to overcome is his link to the Dooley years. His dad was Vince's defensive coordinator for nearly a decade.

Two others that deserve consideration:

Claude Felton ... one of the top sports media people in the nation, Felton is universally admired within the UGA athletic department and throughout college athletics generally. Retained (apparently after some reservations by Adams/Evans) when he was passed over for Evans, Felton has remained a steadfast part of the Bulldog operation. Not an exciting pick perhaps, but Michael Adams could do much worse.

Frank Crumley ... Typically considered second in command to Evans, Frank Crumley is a senior associate AD in charge of finance. With Georgia annually ranking as one of the most profitable departments in the nation, Crumley deserves much of the credit for keeping a close eye on all those Bulldog bucks. Talented, relatively young, and seen as an up-and-comer, his candidacy might be tainted by his close ties to Damon Evans (although it shouldn't be).

Evans and Adams Should Go

Damon Evans should be fired as Athletic Director at the University of Georgia.

Consider that unlikely pending further details of his arrest.

Michael Adams should have long ago been fired as President of the University of Georgia.

He was not, and is in no danger of losing his job now.

Two of the three most visible and powerful people at the state's flagship university are unfit to lead (the third - head football coach Mark Richt - should not be mentioned in the same company as Evans and Adams).

Evans was arrested by the Georgia State Patrol on Wednesday night in Atlanta after being spotted driving erratically, and charged with driving under the influence. Evans refused breathalyzer tests, and his unfortunate mug shot will likely be a lasting image.

To make matters more unseemly, Evans - a married father of two - was with a 28 year-old woman (not his wife) when pulled over near midnight. At his brief and unenlightening press conference Thursday evening, Evans called the woman just "a friend." Perhaps.

The man who will decide the professional fate of Damon Evans is similarly unfit for leadership.

UGA President Michael Adams is a political brawler. He cut his teeth working for then U.S. Senate majority leader Howard Baker, and later as an aide to Governor Lamar Alexander (now U.S. Senator), both of Tennessee. That those two respected southern gentlemen would have someone as slimy as Adams representing them is not a positive mark on their records.

Since taking the helm in Athens in 1997, Adams has presided over a period of tremendous growth at UGA, something that very likely would have happened whether he or someone else was living in the President's Mansion on Prince Avenue.

He is best known for controversial - and ethically questionable - decisions.

Adams fired football coach Jim Donnan in 2000 after consecutive 8-win seasons, against the wishes of longtime Athletic Director and Bulldog coaching legend Vince Dooley. Adams was later found to have doled out a secret payment to Donnan as well.

After butting heads with Dooley (who is most responsible for the ultimate hiring of Mark Richt as head coach), Adams engaged in a death-match struggle and forced the most influential icon in Bulldog athletic history out of his job. Adams replaced Dooley with Evans. While calling him a "yes-man" might be too strong (the Athletic Department has continued to roll along successfully under Evans) ... if anyone can document a decision by Evans that went against the views of Adams, I would enjoy reading it.

Adams has other leadership lapses on his curriculum vitae as well.

He was responsible for hiring the reprehensible Jim Harrick as men's basketball coach. He reimbursed the institution for questionable personal expenditures, paid a stipend from university funds to his wife (who once famously called the police when a group of basketball students came to the President's home to complain about the dismissal of Harrick), and was embroiled in a controversy concerning the oversight of excessive spending on an "ecolodge" in Costa Rica.

His handling of the Dooley debacle caused enmity from a throng of loyal Bulldog boosters, and many withdrew donations. While the overall fund-raising efforts of the university have grown under Adams, there seems little doubt the level could have been higher had so many Dooley loyalists not been alienated.

Adams and Evans both earn taxpayer money.

In fiscal year 2009, Adams earned $607, 417.98 in salary with another $7779.14 in travel according to state records. The same report showed Evans earning $420,000.00. His recent $90,000 pay increase goes into effect today.

Adams and Evans work for you, me, and the rest of the citizens of Georgia. Their salaries come from our paychecks. They are eligible (if they choose to participate) to reap thousands upon thousands of retirement dollars through the bloated state retirement system.

Neither man is fit for his office.

Damon Evans should be fired. Michael Adams should go with him.

Consider both unlikely. For now.

Preseason Publications

While college football provides year-round entertainment and grist for gossip among many fans, the month of June really kicks off the countdown to the coming season.

That's because the always popular preseason publications are available at your favorite magazine stand.

If you are one of those fans that grew up enjoying the pocket sized Peek's Guide or waiting for the slick and shiny new Street and Smith's every summer, you know the great fun yearbooks provide.

A relative newcomer to the field arrives this week from the The Kickoff, a venerable weekly publication covering college football from the Chattanooga area since 1951. Owner/publisher Bill Hope and editor Jim Gumm just wrapped up their second preseason annual. It's an attractive and informative yearbook (for which I was proud to contribute the SEC preview section) and I encourage you to find a copy at your local news stand or order online by clicking on the link above or picture below.

As your budget allows, please support college football publishers by purhasing the preseason annuals.

Conference Realignment: Wild Wild Whispers

A Wild, Wild Whisper
by Bob Epling
The Campus Game
June 12, 2010

There's a wild, wild whisper blowing in the wind ...
(Lady Antebellum - American Honey)

This is the second of a series of columns on the current state of big-time college football. Part Two examines potential conference expansion and realignment, and the factors driving these significant changes. Part One provided an introduction to and explanation of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS).

Those wild, wild whispers about conference expansion and realignment in college athletics have now become a roaring reality.

The Big Ten, accelerating an expansion schedule first publicized by conference commissioner Jim Delany in December, will soon formally accept Nebraska's application to join.

The Pac-10 yesterday announced the admission of Colorado into the league.

The reeling Big 12 Conference, jilted league to both the Cornhuskers and the Buffaloes, will in all likelihood soon lose four or five other members to the plunderers from the Pacific Coast.

The institutions left behind and those conferences not yet directly involved in the tumult warily wait and watch, some seeking to strengthen their current circumstances, others simply hoping for a safe, soft landing spot.

The topic of conference expansion has dominated newspapers and online publications for the past couple of weeks. This article seeks to summarize the current status of conference realignment, and identify the main reasons for these changes. A future column will take up the mostly unexplored question of what impact these seismic realignments will have on college football bowls.

Here is a recap of the current realignment status.

The Big Ten may or may not stop with the addition of Nebraska (it seems likely the conference will add two to four more members). Among the schools considered to be primary Delany targets are Notre Dame, Maryland, Rutgers, Syracuse, and possibly Pitt and Missouri.

Out West, Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott seems intent on expanding to sixteen teams by adding nearly the entire Big 12 South to the league rolls. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas Tech reportedly favor accepting invitations, while Texas A&M seems to be wavering slightly between joining them or trekking east to the Southeastern Conference. I expect the Aggies to stick with their conference colleagues and flee west.

The Big 12 might not be dead, but life support may be in order and the electricity plug could be pulled next week should the exodus to the Pac-10 occur. Remaining members Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, and Missouri could be scrambling to find a new home or might be part of an effort to keep the league together by luring new schools. Should the latter happen, expect schools such as TCU, SMU, Louisville, Memphis, and others to be mentioned.

Notre Dame, probably the Big Ten's top target, is clinging to its long-held football independence but the Irish have to be sweating on behalf of all the other sports on campus. Those teams need the structure of a league to thrive ... should the Big Ten pillage the Big East, ND could be forced into accepting an invitation to protect all the sports other than football. Ironic and unenviable.

The SEC, typically a proactive bunch, had been on the sidelines until reports this week that Texas A&M might be open to an invitation (Texas obviously would be accepted with open arms but the Longhorns are apparently averse to the idea). Should the Aggies shun their Big 12 South brethren and move to the SEC, the conference would likely look to the ACC to even out its membership (Virginia Tech?). If the Aggies do the expected and go west, I believe the SEC will wait before making major moves ... unless these new super-conferences are granted two automatic BCS bowl bids (a topic to be addressed in the next article in this series).

What is driving this expansion and realignment?

1) Finances: Unsurprisingly, money plays the predominant role. Only two sports generate money in most college athletic programs - football and men's basketball, with football far and away the primary breadwinner. College presidents and athletic directors are constantly seeking new revenue streams; if a super-sized conference increases the budget significantly expect them to join. Similarly, institutions must weigh the financial boon versus potential new costs. Texas A&M is not awash in money like the University of Texas, so a trip for the women's volleyball team to Pullman, Washington, probably seems mighty costly to the Aggies.

2) Academics: I had a coversation today with Bob Epling (no relation but a great guy with a heckuva name). Mr. Epling is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, and former President of the Orange Bowl Committee. He addressed many of the factors I am listing here, and emphasized that too often fans overlook the academic influence in this process (especially considering that college presidents are the main decision makers - not athletic directors). For example, the Big Ten already had twelve member schools even before admitting Nebraska ... the University of Chicago is also a Big Ten member, even though the former school of Amos Alonzo Stagg does not compete in athletics. Similary, the Big Ten seeks new members that share commonalities in academic pursuits (all schools in the league are members of the Association of American Universities - AAU). One reason Texas seems intent on going to the Pac-10 instead of the SEC is because the Longhorn administration probably sees broader benefits from being associated with Stanford, Cal, USC, etc.

3) Personality Dynamics: Every one of these conference moves includes its own dynamics. One reason the Big 12 appears to have disintegrated so quickly is because of internal tension between the Texas teams (specifically Texas) and the Big 12 North schools (especially Nebraska). Tom Osborne, Cornhusker AD, is about as steady a guy as you'll find in college sports, but even he has occasionally expressed frustration at the southern slant of the league. Remember the Big 12 is (was?) less than two decades old, and it is a somewhat unwieldy alliance of the old Southwest Conference and the Big Eight. It was never a good fit. Another example - former Alabama coach Gene Stallings is a trustee at his alma mater Texas A&M, and some media reports indicated he is one of the biggest advocates of exploring options with the SEC before jumping into the Pac-10.

4)Television Contracts: This could just as easily be cited as part of #1, but the huge television contracts garnered by the Big Ten (through subscription fees paid to the Big Ten Network), the SEC (through recent 15 year deals with CBS and ESPN), and even the ACC (through recent contracts with ABC and ESPN) have helped move the expansion train. The Pac-10 and the Big 12 would be negotiating new contracts soon and want to leverage their assets as much as possible to gain maximum dollars.

5) Marketing Footprint: Fans think about expansion differently than college presidents, athletic directors, and league commissioners. While the SEC might be even stronger from a competitive standpoint by inviting Florida State, Miami, or Clemson into the fold, what do those teams do to drive revenue? The University of Florida already provides an entry into the lucrative and populous Sunshine State, and the U of South Carolina does the same for the Palmetto State. Other than making the football divisions even stronger, what else would those schools add to the league's footprint? That's why Texas A&M and Virginia Tech make more sense. Each brings a new territory ... more viewers, more recruits, new markets. The Big Ten does not care near so much about geography as about a marketing footprint. Thus, Rutgers and Maryland are popular expansion targets (to bring New York City and Washington DC into the league's footprint).

Finally, what impact will all these moves have on bowls?

As a traditonalist, an historian, and a lover of college football bowl games large and small, that is a question on my mind.

Please visit again for Part Three of this series to read about the anticipated effects of college conference realignment on the grand old bowl games.

2010 Hall of Fame Class

The National Football Foundation announced the 2010 class today.

The most prominent name on the list is the late Pat Tillman, former linebacker at Arizona State and defensive back in the NFL, who enlisted in the military in the aftermath of 9/11 and was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan.

Two SEC schools had players earn Hall honors.

Former Arkansas center Ronnie Caveness played for Frank Broyles from 1962-1964 when the Razorbacks were part of the old Southwest Conference.

Jerry Stovall was an All-American halfback at LSU, where he succeeded legendary Heisman winner Billy Cannon. Stovall finished second in Heisman voting in 1962 (to Terry Baker of Oregon State), and later coached the Bengal Tigers.

Two coaches were elected.

Gene Stallings won the 1992 national championship at Alabama, and was a member of Bear Bryant's famed "Junction Boys" as a player at Texas A&M.

Current Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez won back-to-back Rose Bowls as head coach of the Badgers, the only Big Ten coach to accomplish that feat. He and Woody Hayes are the only Big Ten coaches to win three Rose Bowls.

The complete list of inductees is below.

Players

•DENNIS BYRD - DT, North Carolina State (1964-67)
•RONNIE CAVENESS - C, Arkansas (1962-64)
•RAY CHILDRESS - DL, Texas A&M (1981-84)
•RANDY CROSS - OG, UCLA (1973-75)
•SAM CUNNINGHAM - RB, Southern California (1970-72)
•MARK HERRMANN - QB, Purdue (1977-80)
•CLARKSTON HINES - WR, Duke (1986-89)
•DESMOND HOWARD - WR, Michigan (1989-91)
•CHET MOELLER - DB, Navy (1973-75)
•JERRY STOVALL - HB, LSU (1960-62)
•PAT TILLMAN* - LB, Arizona State (1994-97)
•ALFRED WILLIAMS - LB, Colorado (1987-90)

Coaches

•BARRY ALVAREZ - 118-73-4 Wisconsin (1990-2005)
•GENE STALLINGS - 89-70-1 Texas A&M (1965-71) Alabama (1990-96)