| Classification | NCAA Division I-A |
| Established | 1932 |
| Members | 12 |
| Sports | 18 (9 men's, 9 women's) |
| Region | Southeastern United States |
| States | Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee |
| Headquarters | Birmingham, Alabama |
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama which operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I in athletic competitions (I-A in football). The conference is one of the most successful both on the field and financially, averaging more than six national championships per year since 1990 and consistently leading all conferences in revenue distribution to its members including $127.2 million in the 2007-2008 fiscal year. The Southeastern Conference was also the first to hold a championship game for football and was one of the founding members of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). The current commissioner of the Southeastern Conference is Michael Slive.
History of SEC Football
The SEC was established in December 1932, when the 13 members of the Southern Conference located west and south of the Appalachian Mountains left to form their own conference. Ten of the thirteen charter members have remained in the conference since its inception. They are University of Alabama, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, University of Mississippi, University of Tennessee, Auburn University, Louisiana State University, Mississippi State University, and Vanderbilt University. The other charter members were:
- Sewanee: Left the SEC in 1940. The school has since de-emphasized varsity athletics, and is currently a member of the Division III Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.
- Georgia Tech: Left the SEC in 1964. In 1975, it became a founding member of the Metro Conference, (most members joined Conference USA), competing there in all sports except football, in which it was independent. In 1978, Georgia Tech joined the Atlantic Coast Conference for all sports, where it has remained.
- Tulane: Left the SEC in 1966. Along with Georgia Tech, it was a charter member of the Metro Conference. Unlike Tech, however, Tulane remained in the Metro until the Metro Conference merged into the new Conference USA in 1995. Tulane remained an independent in football until the formation of Conference USA.
The SEC expanded from 10 to 12 members in 1991 with the addition of the University of Arkansas from the Southwest Conference and the University of South Carolina from the independent ranks in football and the Metro Conference in other sports. In 1992, the SEC adopted the divisional setup that exists today. Also in 1992, the SEC was the first conference to receive permission from the NCAA to conduct an annual championship game in football, featuring the winners of the conference's eastern and western divisions. It was held at Birmingham's Legion Field the first two years and at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta thereafter.
Current SEC Football Teams
The SEC currently has twelve member institutions in nine Southeastern states. The geographic domain of the conference streches from Arkansas to South Carolina and from Kentucky to Florida. One or both of the flagship universities in each state in the geographic domain of the SEC is a member of the conference, along with one of the preeminent private universities of the Deep South.
The conference is divided into two geographic divisions: the East Division and the West Division. The twelve current members of the Southeastern Conference are:
| College | Location (Population) |
Established | Affiliation | Enrollment | Year Joined | Nickname | Mascot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Division | |||||||
| University of Florida | Gainesville, Florida (108,655) |
1853 | Public | 51,913 | 1932 | Gators | Albert |
| University of Georgia | Athens, Georgia (111,580) |
1785 | Public | 33,831 | 1932 | Bulldogs | Uga |
| University of Kentucky | Lexington, Kentucky (270,789) |
1865 | Public | 27,209 | 1932 | Wildcats | Scratch |
| University of South Carolina | Columbia, South Carolina (119,961) |
1801 | Public | 27,065 | 1991 | Gamecocks | Cocky |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Tennessee (173,890) |
1794 | Public | 26,400 | 1932 | Volunteers | Smokey |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Tennessee (607,413) |
1873 | Private | 11,607 | 1932 | Commodores | Mr. C |
| Western Division | |||||||
| University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, Alabama (83,052) |
1831 | Public | 25,580 | 1932 | Crimson Tide | Big Al |
| University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, Arkansas (67,158) |
1871 | Public | 18,647 | 1991 | Razorbacks | Big Red |
| Auburn University | Auburn, Alabama (51,906) |
1856 | Public | 24,137 | 1932 | Tigers | Aubie |
| Louisiana State University | Baton Rouge, Louisiana (224,097) |
1860 | Public | 33,587 | 1932 | Tigers | Mike the Tiger |
| University of Mississippi | Oxford, Mississippi (14,051) |
1848 | Public | 17,323 | 1932 | Rebels | Colonel Reb |
| Mississippi State University | Starkville, Mississippi (22,638) |
1878 | Public | 17,032 | 1932 | Bulldogs | Bully |
SEC Football Stadiums, Basketball Arenas, and Baseball Stadiums
| SEC School | SEC Football Stadium | Capacity | SEC Basketball Arena | Capacity | SEC Baseball Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Bryant-Denny Stadium | 92,158 | Coleman Coliseum | 15,043 | Sewell-Thomas Stadium | 6,118 |
| Arkansas | Razorback Stadium (primary) War Memorial Stadium (secondary) |
73,000 53,727 |
Bud Walton Arena | 19,200 | Baum Stadium | 9,133 |
| Auburn | Jordan-Hare Stadium | 87,451 | Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum | 10,500 | Plainsman Park | 4,096 |
| Florida | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | 88,548 | Stephen C. O'Connell Center | 12,000 | McKethan Stadium | 5,000 |
| Georgia | Sanford Stadium | 92,028 | Stegeman Coliseum | 11,000 | Foley Field | 3,291 |
| Kentucky | Commonwealth Stadium | 67,530 | Rupp Arena | 23,000 | Cliff Hagan Stadium | 3,000 |
| LSU | Tiger Stadium | 91,600 | Pete Maravich Assembly Center | 14,164 | Alex Box Stadium | 7,760 |
| Ole Miss | Vaught-Hemingway Stadium | 60,850 | Tad Smith Coliseum | 8,700 | Swayze Field | 3,500 |
| Mississippi State | Davis Wade Stadium (Scott Field) | 55,082 | Humphrey Coliseum | 10,500 | Dudy Noble Field | 7,200 |
| South Carolina | Williams-Brice Stadium | 80,250 | Colonial Center | 18,000 | Sarge Frye Field | 5,000 |
| Tennessee | Neyland Stadium | 104,079 | Thompson-Boling Arena | 24,535 | Lindsey Nelson Stadium | 4,000 |
| Vanderbilt | Vanderbilt Stadium | 41,448 | Memorial Gymnasium | 14,168 | Hawkins Field | 1,500 |
College Football Rivalries in the SEC
SEC Football All Time Records versus SEC Football Opponents
|
Records Through 2007 |
Alabama |
Arkansas |
Auburn |
LSU |
MSU |
Ole Miss |
Florida |
Georgia |
Kentucky |
South Carolina |
Tennessee |
Vanderbilt |
|
Alabama Crimson Tide |
- |
11-7 |
37-28-1 |
42-22-5 |
69-16-3 |
42-7-2 |
21-13 |
35-24-3 |