How a 30-team SEC would resemble college football’s past
The Southern Conference was formed in 1921.
Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Washington & Lee were founding Southern Conference members.
Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tulane and Vanderbilt joined the Southern Conference in 1922.
Other current Power Five schools that joined the Southern Conference were Duke (1928), Wake Forest (1936) and West Virginia (1950).
In 1932, 13 schools of the Southern Conference, located west and south of the Appalachian Mountains, departed to form the Southeastern Conference.
Southern Conference schools Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Sewanee, Tennessee, Tulane, and Vanderbilt departed and became the founding institutions of the newly formed SEC.
Separation to form the new SEC conference was in part of having more of a focus on better athletic administration with fewer teams from the 23 schools of the Southern Conference. The Southern Conference also planned on increasing eligibility requirements.
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Following UCLA and USC leaving the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten, Vols Wire looks at current Power Five schools that could join the SEC to resemble the Southern Conference of the past.
Below are schools that could form a 30-team SEC in a super conference. The 30-team SEC would be a combination of former Southern Conference members, current SEC schools, future SEC teams in Oklahoma and Texas, and teams that are ideal additions.
Alabama
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Arkansas
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Auburn
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Clemson
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Duke
William Howard-USA TODAY Sports
Florida
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Florida State
Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
Georgia
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Georgia Tech
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Kentucky
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Louisville
AP Photo/Winslow Townson
LSU
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Miami
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Mississippi State
Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Missouri
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
North Carolina
Craig Jones /Allsport
North Carolina State
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Oklahoma
Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Oklahoma State
Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports
Ole Miss
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
South Carolina
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Tennessee
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Texas
Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Texas A&M
Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Vanderbilt
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Virginia
Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Virginia Tech
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Wake Forest
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
West Virginia
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Notre Dame, Pittsburgh or Maryland
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
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