Imagining SEC name change possibilities from Waffle House to Tito's to Nick Saban | Toppmeyer
The Big 12, as you once knew it, is long gone. Half of the membership from the original dozen teams vamoosed. The conference’s name itself might be the next to go.
What’s in a name? Money, in this case.
The Big 12 preserved its name even while it operated with 10 and later 14 teams. Now, that it's back to a 12-team league, it is reportedly considering selling off the conference’s name to a corporate sponsor in a move that could generate millions in new annual revenue.
The Action Network reported that insurance giant Allstate is an interested potential sponsor, which could turn the Big 12 into the Allstate 12 Conference.
Expect the tradition-rich SEC to be more hesitant to go down this path. Even as the SEC expanded from 10 to 12 to 14 and now 16 teams, the conference carefully selected new schools that meshed with the conference’s fabric and fit into the league’s geography and culture. The SEC is a powerful, lucrative brand with a carefully crafted identity.
Mention the SEC to a passerby on the street, and more people would think Southeastern Conference than they would Securities and Exchange Commission.
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The SEC enjoys a position of financial strength. It doesn't need to sell its name.
But, the Big 12’s news got my creative wheel turning, and I mused: If the SEC considered selling its name to a sponsor, what are possibilities?
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Let’s have some fun, shall we, with these far-fetched ideas.
Waffle House Conference
This one is too easy. If you created a Venn Diagram of SEC football fans and Waffle House enthusiasts, it would just look like two circles placed on top of one another. So, I give you the Waffle House Conference, where opponents go to get smothered, covered and diced.
Buc-ee’s Conference
Gas station doesn’t accurately describe what Buc-ee’s is to the South. It’s a transformative experience. You could easily spend an hour (and a couple-hundred bucks) inside the gas station’s accompanying country store. If the SEC partnered with Buc-ee’s, I’m envisioning cleaner stadium restrooms and vendors selling hot brisket. Not bad, huh? Plus, who doesn’t love that cute beaver logo?
Dream Motor Group Conference
Never heard of the Dream Motor Group? It’s Nick Saban’s Mercedes-Benz car dealership. Many SEC fans claim Alabama runs the conference behind the scenes. Time to step out from behind the curtain, Mr. Oz. Golf can’t fill all of Saban's time. He can appoint himself czar of the Dream Motor Group Conference.
ExxonMobil Conference
Big Oil meets college football. Doesn't get more American than that. Initially, I considered just having Jimbo Fisher sponsor the SEC – he’s got money to burn – but a Jimbo Conference would fail to meet expectations, so I pivoted to ExxonMobil. Surely Fisher didn’t dry up all of the oil reserves. Forget coaches’ buyouts. Sponsor a conference instead. Be on the winning side, not the loser’s.
Tito’s Conference
Tito’s, a vodka distilled in Austin, Texas, captured America’s heart thanks to its effective marketing, corn mash and clean taste. Tito’s bottles are ubiquitous at pregame tailgates, while fans work up a morning buzz on Bloody Marys, screwdrivers and the like. Anyway, “It Just Means More” is starting to age. Freshen the conference motto. How about, Tito’s Conference: It’s lit.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.
Also, check out his podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered, and newsletter, SEC Football Unfiltered. Subscribe to read all of his columns.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: SEC name change options from Waffle House to Tito's to Nick Saban
