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In Football, the South Rises Again

Nothing tops college football in the South

By Katherine Thompson, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 5, 2008 7:03 PM CST

(Newser) – With Alabama and Florida getting set to play for what is likely to be a national championship berth tomorrow, the Wall Street Journal looks into what has been giving the juggernaut Southeastern Conference its recent momentum. It's not just great coaching—although that helps—but a combination of culture, politics, and growing wealth in the region.

In the South, where football is king, two-thirds of governors and senators are SEC alumni. This gives the teams some high-powered advocates, helping secure lofty coaching salaries and keeping local media scrutiny in check. And despite the low average incomes of the SEC states, their schools have some of the best fundraising in the nation.

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On Saturday, the two winningest active coaches in the SEC, Steve Spurrier of South Carolina and Phillip Fulmer of Tennessee, will be playing for fourth place in their division. (AP Photo/Wade Payne, File)

Alabama coach Nick Saban speaks to the media at the SEC football media days in Hoover, Ala. on Thursday, July 24, 2008. His team will face the Gators for the SEC championship. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Auburn wide receiver Mario Fannin (27) gets flipped by Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain (25) in the first half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2008. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

In this Nov. 22, 2008 file photo, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow glances at the scoreboard during the fourth quarter as Florida defeats Citadel 70-19. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin, File)

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Nothing did more for racial integration in the South than sport and the military. - Wayne Flynt, a professor emeritus of history at Auburn, on one of the turning points in Southern football

Half the people in that stadium can't spell LSU. It doesn't matter. They identify with it. It's culturally such a big deal. - Political consultant James Carville, himself an LSU alum

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In Football, the South Rises Again