I have no idea who to make the next commish of the SEC, but I'm wondering what the goals of the next commish should be? For example, Slive was charged with "cleaning up" the conference.

I think that these are some good starting places, but what do you think?

1) Continue the clean up process.
2) Increase the academic reputation of the conference.
3) Ensure the conference continues to be the preeminent football conference and receives the best possible contracts (in line with the Big 10 payday in a few years)
4) Correct football and basketball scheduling issues.
5) Improve overall basketball in the conference.
6) Increase visibility of Olympic sports.

While I hope this is not an expansion thread, I understand the choice of commish may impact schools decisions in this matter. I think the SEC would benefit from a commish with ties to the ACC schools we are interested in. 2/4/5 would alll be met with a UNC/Duke expansion.

(10-15-2014 07:25 AM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  I have no idea who to make the next commish of the SEC, but I'm wondering what the goals of the next commish should be? For example, Slive was charged with "cleaning up" the conference.

I think that these are some good starting places, but what do you think?

1) Continue the clean up process.
2) Increase the academic reputation of the conference.
3) Ensure the conference continues to be the preeminent football conference and receives the best possible contracts (in line with the Big 10 payday in a few years)
4) Correct football and basketball scheduling issues.
5) Improve overall basketball in the conference.
6) Increase visibility of Olympic sports.

While I hope this is not an expansion thread, I understand the choice of commish may impact schools decisions in this matter. I think the SEC would benefit from a commish with ties to the ACC schools we are interested in. 2/4/5 would alll be met with a UNC/Duke expansion.

I agree on your points of emphasis. I'm not sure that cleaning up is going to be that germane with the autonomy and the likely coming of compensation for players in one form or another. I do think we need to clean up our image, but not in the same ways that you suggest. I for one despise Finebaum's show on the SECN as he plays off of the non alumni rabble of the states and only engenders the strengthening of a negative stereotype of the country's perception of SEC graduates. In this regard having his show on the SECN is really a slap in the face to SEC alumni everywhere.

If you consider track & field, swimming & diving, and equestrian to be Olympic sports (and I do) then you are absolutely correct that we should be increasing the visibility of them. Women's volleyball, soccer, basketball and gymnastics are all things of which the public should be more aware.

The rumor is that the frontrunner is Slive protege at the SEC office.

As to the selection of someone with intricate knowledge of the ACC, I'm not sure that is necessary. I believe all realignment now is in the hands of the networks and that the "conference networks", "G.O.R.'s", and the exit fees, have helped to make it so. I think the next SEC Commissioner will be a top notch PR guy and will have to put together a team to solve some of our divisional, if not scheduling, issues. We'll see.

(10-15-2014 08:05 AM)JRsec Wrote:  

(10-15-2014 07:25 AM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  I have no idea who to make the next commish of the SEC, but I'm wondering what the goals of the next commish should be? For example, Slive was charged with "cleaning up" the conference.

I think that these are some good starting places, but what do you think?

1) Continue the clean up process.
2) Increase the academic reputation of the conference.
3) Ensure the conference continues to be the preeminent football conference and receives the best possible contracts (in line with the Big 10 payday in a few years)
4) Correct football and basketball scheduling issues.
5) Improve overall basketball in the conference.
6) Increase visibility of Olympic sports.

While I hope this is not an expansion thread, I understand the choice of commish may impact schools decisions in this matter. I think the SEC would benefit from a commish with ties to the ACC schools we are interested in. 2/4/5 would alll be met with a UNC/Duke expansion.

I agree on your points of emphasis. I'm not sure that cleaning up is going to be that germane with the autonomy and the likely coming of compensation for players in one form or another. I do think we need to clean up our image, but not in the same ways that you suggest. I for one despise Finebaum's show on the SECN as he plays off of the non alumni rabble of the states and only engenders the strengthening of a negative stereotype of the country's perception of SEC graduates. In this regard having his show on the SECN is really a slap in the face to SEC alumni everywhere.

If you consider track & field, swimming & diving, and equestrian to be Olympic sports (and I do) then you are absolutely correct that we should be increasing the visibility of them. Women's volleyball, soccer, basketball and gymnastics are all things of which the public should be more aware.

The rumor is that the frontrunner is Slive protege at the SEC office.

As to the selection of someone with intricate knowledge of the ACC, I'm not sure that is necessary. I believe all realignment now is in the hands of the networks and that the "conference networks", "G.O.R.'s", and the exit fees, have helped to make it so. I think the next SEC Commissioner will be a top notch PR guy and will have to put together a team to solve some of our divisional, if not scheduling, issues. We'll see.

I would consider all of those Olympic sports and would celebrate and watch them all, however, I am not sure that women's basketball is an Olympic sport in the SEC. By this I mean that it is far too "mainstream," with great rivalries in TN, KY, LSU, etc.

Also that is a good point, and a PR guy would certainly fit the bill. I think a Slive protege would be great. No need to shake things up right now as long as we don't get into a rut - "if you always do what you've always done you'll always get what you've always got."

I know realignment is always potentially on the horizon, but as an outsider I think that the SEC is one conference where it's not apressing need. I think that the SEC has managed to do an outstanding job of expanding on a solid base with additions that are a good cultural fit, and without expanding to the point that established solid brands are in danger of suffering individual school brand erosion at the expense of elevating the conference as a whole.

Or in short, the SEC is coming from a position of strength due to its great strength in the most important sport. Therefore, I think that a commissioner would be well advised to hold off on any further expansion unless it's a home run. (That can, of course, be accomplished not just by any one school, but by a perfect combination of schools with complementary strengths.)

SEC basketball can be a bit underrated, but I do think that building that would be an area of emphasis. They've obviously got a blue-blood anchor in UK, and Florida has multiple championships under a still young coach. LSU has some history of success - if they can regain their luster, and if Missouri finds some consistency under Kim Anderson, that will help raise the conference's profile even if many SEC schools' fans would prefer to watch off-season football conditioning and weight workouts on the SECN during the winter months.

1, Expansion. The only way to fix the schedule is to expand by 2.

2, Basketball scheduling.

3, The addition of scholarship sports. Rugby and Soccer to become men's sports. I have never really liked soccer, but it is a fast growing sport that should be taken more seriously.

(10-15-2014 04:23 PM)hawghiggs Wrote:  3, The addition of scholarship sports. Rugby and Soccer to become men's sports. I have never really liked soccer, but it is a fast growing sport that should be taken more seriously.

I am not a fan of soccer either (only watch the World Cup a bit); however, this is a really good point for all the conferences. Many just have women's soccer (or no teams at all), but if football participation continues to decline due to the brain trauma issues, soccer is the sport most likely to benefit, and who knows, in 50 years soccer might be THE fall sport. Hard to imagine, but possible. Seventy five years ago who would have thought football would be more popular than baseball.

(10-15-2014 08:05 AM)JRsec Wrote:  I agree on your points of emphasis. I'm not sure that cleaning up is going to be that germane with the autonomy and the likely coming of compensation for players in one form or another. I do think we need to clean up our image, but not in the same ways that you suggest. I for one despise Finebaum's show on the SECN as he plays off of the non alumni rabble of the states and only engenders the strengthening of a negative stereotype of the country's perception of SEC graduates. In this regard having his show on the SECN is really a slap in the face to SEC alumni everywhere.

100% this, JR. Coming from another school in the deep south, it is night and day when you compare the Auburn academic community and the War Eagle trailer park community. That show would be entirely different if you had the alumni calling in and controlling the discussion. Most of my run-ins with SEC alumni have lead me to believe that they typically are very down to earth and polite (which is different than the arrogance of many northeastern alumni). The SEC should highlight how they are the socially active "gentleman's South" - and not some bigoted t-shirt fan in a trailer park.

A lot of other fan bases get a really good fricking laugh from that show - and it's not really the kind of humor that you want considering this is collegiate athletics.

(10-15-2014 08:05 AM)JRsec Wrote:  

(10-15-2014 07:25 AM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  I have no idea who to make the next commish of the SEC, but I'm wondering what the goals of the next commish should be? For example, Slive was charged with "cleaning up" the conference.

I think that these are some good starting places, but what do you think?

1) Continue the clean up process.
2) Increase the academic reputation of the conference.
3) Ensure the conference continues to be the preeminent football conference and receives the best possible contracts (in line with the Big 10 payday in a few years)
4) Correct football and basketball scheduling issues.
5) Improve overall basketball in the conference.
6) Increase visibility of Olympic sports.

While I hope this is not an expansion thread, I understand the choice of commish may impact schools decisions in this matter. I think the SEC would benefit from a commish with ties to the ACC schools we are interested in. 2/4/5 would alll be met with a UNC/Duke expansion.

I agree on your points of emphasis. I'm not sure that cleaning up is going to be that germane with the autonomy and the likely coming of compensation for players in one form or another. I do think we need to clean up our image, but not in the same ways that you suggest. I for one despise Finebaum's show on the SECN as he plays off of the non alumni rabble of the states and only engenders the strengthening of a negative stereotype of the country's perception of SEC graduates. In this regard having his show on the SECN is really a slap in the face to SEC alumni everywhere.

If you consider track & field, swimming & diving, and equestrian to be Olympic sports (and I do) then you are absolutely correct that we should be increasing the visibility of them. Women's volleyball, soccer, basketball and gymnastics are all things of which the public should be more aware.

The rumor is that the frontrunner is Slive protege at the SEC office.

As to the selection of someone with intricate knowledge of the ACC, I'm not sure that is necessary. I believe all realignment now is in the hands of the networks and that the "conference networks", "G.O.R.'s", and the exit fees, have helped to make it so. I think the next SEC Commissioner will be a top notch PR guy and will have to put together a team to solve some of our divisional, if not scheduling, issues. We'll see.

The new SECN will certainly increase the Olympic sports visibility. It has already started...

(10-15-2014 04:23 PM)hawghiggs Wrote:  1, Expansion. The only way to fix the schedule is to expand by 2.

2, Basketball scheduling.

3, The addition of scholarship sports. Rugby and Soccer to become men's sports. I have never really liked soccer, but it is a fast growing sport that should be taken more seriously.

Presuming the current Title IX remains in place, the SEC would probably wind up adding women's lacrosse alongside men's soccer. Both sports would be new at all schools except Kentucky, South Carolina, Florida, and Vanderbilt. Kentucky and South Carolina already have men's soccer teams competing in C-USA. Vanderbilt has women's lacrosse, but not softball or women's volleyball, so making the Commodores field a volleyball or softball program has other benefits for the conference. Florida may be in the toughest spot since it already has women's lacrosse - the only comparable additions to men's soccer in terms of scholarships the Gators could make would be field hockey or equestrian (four SEC schools have equestrian teams - Texas A&M, South Carolina, Georgia, Auburn; none play field hockey).

Men's lacrosse needs to be on the radar as well. Adding both men's and women's lacrosse could be feasible for most of the conference. A&M having the only lacrosse program in Texas could be huge for the school and the conference.