SEC Football Media Days has grown. The event, which regularly attracts more than 1,000 media members to Birmingham, Ala., is the unofficial kickoff to the college football season and will expand from three days to four starting this summer. It will be held July 14-17 at the Hyatt Regency Wynfrey Hotel in the city of Hoover.
Reading between the lines, one of the reasons the SEC is going to four days is because last year the middle day with six teams was too cumbersome. The additional day will divide up the teams more evenly. Three coaches will be present on Monday, the first day of the event, then four on Tuesday, three more on Wednesday and finally four on Thursday.
Also, the league will likely use the event as an early peek at the SEC Network, which premiers in August. It will also give the SEC’s television partner, ESPN, another day of programming and promotion.
I just wish the conference would reduce the participants from three players to two and invite one of the coordinators. It would be refreshing to hear from LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron or new Georgia defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt.
HEISMAN ODDS: There was an interesting addition to the early Heisman Trophy odds. Bovada’s Heisman board for the 2014 season now includes Alabama running back Derrick Henry at 25/1 odds. Henry, who emerged as a threat in the Sugar Bowl loss to Oklahoma, will challenge T. J. Yeldon for the starting position this spring. Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, last season’s Heisman winner, is12/5 odds and Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota is 5/1.
DUKE STARTING EARLY: There is nothing like dealing with National Signing Day and starting spring practice in the same week. Duke coach David Cutcliffe started spring practice last Friday. Cutcliffe is trying to build on the momentum from last year’s successful season when the Blue Devils played in the ACC title game — and lost to Florida State. Eight starters return on offense and six on defense, even though the defensive line needs to be rebuilt.
HOOPS CHALLENGE: The SEC has reached out to ESPN to help in increasing basketball attendance, which is down at several schools according to an article from al.com writer Jon Solomon. SEC teams enter the final month of the regular season averaging 10,126 fans per game in announced attendance, down one percent from last year at this time. SEC teams averaged 10,571 fans in 2012-13, third in the country, but it’s lowest since 1986-87.
Half of the SEC’s teams’ crowds are up and half down in 2013-14. Many of the teams that are down possess some of the largest fan bases: Missouri (23 percent decrease), Tennessee (11 percent), Vanderbilt (11 percent) and Alabama (10 percent). All four of those teams may be left out of the NCAA Tournament.
The league wants better start times and some of the on-site announcers to provide some inside info for the fans in attendance. Somehow I can’t see ESPN analyst Bobby Knight agreeing to entertain the crowd with some stories of his past.
If the conference wants to help its hoops image then schools need to spend more money to improve facilities and hire more productive coaches.