The Birmingham News has confirmed what most folks with eyes have been saying for a while now — college football attendance is dropping.  No surprise there.  HDTV has improved the in-home experience.  New television contracts guarantee that most games are now on television (in some form or fashion).  Ticket prices and required donations continue to rise at many schools.  While a stagnant economy forces fans to be more selective when it comes to spending.

The result was the lowest attended season in college football since 2003.  The Southeastern Conference took a hit, too.

According to the ever-excellent Jon Solomon:

“The SEC continued to lead the nation at 75,444 fans per game, but that was its lowest average since 2007.  SEC crowds are down 2 percent since peaking in 2008 at 76,844.

This season, the SEC began allowing stadium scoreboards to air multiple replays of any play, including those under review by officials. The NFL used a similar approach.  The idea is to try to provide similar same bells and whistles fans can get by saving money and watching at home.

In 2012, a face-value ticket for an SEC game reached $100 for the first time.  Four years ago, the SEC’s priciest ticket was the Iron Bowl at $65.  This season, 30 SEC games cost at least $65, including nondescript matchups such as Mississippi State-Tennessee, Ole Miss-Vanderbilt, Missouri-Vanderbilt and Missouri-Kentucky.

On the other hand, the minimum SEC season-ticket price in 2012 — defined by al.com as the cost of regularly-priced season tickets plus any required minimum donation — showed no increase from 2011.  Half of the league’s returning schools reported decreases in their cheapest season-ticket cost.”

At MrSEC.com, we’ve taken each SEC school’s 2012 average paid attendance and compared those numbers to last season’s figures.

Read the rest of this entry »

SEC Football

1. Three straight losing seasons for Tennessee for the first time since 1909-1911.  Derek Dooley on his job status: “That’s not my call. I don’t know how to answer that.”

2. Iron Bowl, Egg Bowl and Beer Barrel just a few of the SEC games on tap next weekend.

3. If Georgia and Alabama win next weekend – SEC championship game a likely BCS championship semi-final game.

4. Alabama will head into Iron Bowl mostly injury-free. Freshman running back Kenyan Drake didn’t see action yesterday - he was suspended.

5. Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo on the Bulldogs offense: “It’s got a chance to be the best offense we’ve had, but we’ve got to wait until the season’s over.”

6. Liberty Bowl decision could come down to Ole Miss or Missouri - both need wins and both expected to be underdogs next weekend.

7. Jadeveon Clowney didn’t dress for South Carolina Saturday -rested injured foot. “I think he’ll be able to play next week.”

SEC/College News

8. New BSC Standings out tonight.  ESPN’s Brad Edwards projected Top 5. #1 Notre Dame, #2 Alabama, #3 Georgia, #4 Florida, #5 Oregon.

9. Stewart Mandel: What happens if Notre Dame loses to USC? Look to the Florida – Florida State game.

10. Baylor defensive coordinator Phil Bennett on the SEC following the Bears 52-24 win over Kansas State: “That’s why Texas A&M is doing well in that league,” Bennett said of the SEC. “[Those teams] don’t face anything like us.”

11. More conference realignment – Maryland and Rutgers reportedly in talks to move to Big Ten.

12. Dan Wetzel: “There isn’t a single Big Ten fan base that is excited by the prospect of these schools on their home schedule…”

13. Lombardi Award finalists - three of four from the SEC.

SEC Basketball

14. Florida plays Middle Tennessee State in Tampa today – a homecoming of sorts for guard Michael Frazier.

15. Gator guard Scott Wilkebin reinstated - won’t start but will play today.

16. Tennessee faces Massachusetts two days after a poor-shooting performance against Oklahoma State.  Cuonzo Martin: ”It’s early and that was just one of those days.”

17. Arkansas faces Longwood this afternoon with BJ Young coming off suspension.

18. Former Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall will be inducted Sunday night into the National Collegiate  Basketball Hall of Fame.

A few leftovers for you on this morning after Thanksgiving.

1.  For Florida to beat Florida State, it’s all on the line(s).

2.  Billy Donovan’s hoops Gators haven’t forgotten that tonight’s opponent — Jacksonville — beat ‘em in overtime last year.

3.  Between dismissals, suspensions and injuries, it’s been a tumultuous year for the tailback position at Georgia.

4.  UGA’s defense better be ready for a triple-option test from Georgia Tech.

5.  Despite rumors, Joker Phillips says there’s no need to talk about his job status at Kentucky because AD Mitch Barnhart said mid-season that he’ll return next year.

6.  Cat fans will be screeching over this one — the NCAA passed a rule barring high school players in non-scholastic events from playing on a collegiate campus.  The new rule nixed plans for “Rumble in Rupp” scrimmages just 36 hours prior to their start.

7.  South Carolina needs defensive end Jadeveon Clowney – concussed last week against The Citadel — against Clemson’s high-powered offense.

8.  Gamecocks quarterbacks coach GA Mangus isn’t answering questions about why the NCAA wants to meet with him as part of its investigation into an extra benefits case.

9.  Carolina’s hoop squad has already lost to Elon and Tennessee State, so tonight’s game with #1 North Carolina looks to be a pretty tough task.

10.  Juco defensive tackle Mo Couch has made big strides at Tennessee this fall.

11.  Despite being used in a variety of ways, freshman linebacker Curt Maggitt has had a solid year for the Vols.

12.  Vanderbilt’s James Franklin has given his struggling kicker a vote of confidence.

13.  Ex-Vandy assistant King Rice will lead Monmouth into Memorial Gym tonight.

14.  Alabama has been repeating its “Never Again” mantra since last year’s Iron Bowl.

15.  The Crimson Tide ground game will try to run over and around Auburn’s young defense.

16.  Here are five reasons Alabama could win the Iron Bowl.

17.  And here are five reasons Auburn could win tomorrow’s game.

18.  Gene Chizik has opened up about his team’s season and the importance of the Iron Bowl. 

19.  Quarterback Clint Moseley says Gus Malzahn is “getting frustrated” by Auburn’s offensive woes.

20.  SEC and national title hopes are riding on today’s Arkansas-LSU game.

21.  The game will mark the end of an emotional week for UA.

22.  Here are five keys for the Razorbacks.

23.  If Arkansas wins today, it will put a lot of pressure on the BCS’ human voters.

24.  LSU finally gets to play a big game at home this season.

25.  John Chavis’ defense is geared up for Bobby Petrino’s passing attack.

26.  Here are some keys to a Tiger victory.

27.  Senior offensive lineman has a vendetta for Arkansas. 

28.  The legs of quarterback Barry Brunetti might have more to do with Ole Miss’ Egg Bowl chances than his arm.

29.   Houston Nutt is worried that some of his young Rebels have lost their focus.

30.  The Egg Bowl is a defining moment for Magnolia State coaches and players.  It’s certainly helped Dan Mullen’s bank account.

31.  Rick Stansbury could be without two starters tonight against UT-Martin.

All week, Nick Saban tried to warn Alabama players, fans and media that Georgia Southern’s wishbone-style attack could pose problems for the Crimson Tide’s vaunted defense.  Turns out, he was right.

The Eagles put up 21 points (though 7 came on a kick return), 341 total yards and 302 rushing yards in Bryant-Denny Stadium last Saturday.  For a squad hoping to become the first since Oklahoma in 1986 to lead the nation in the top four defensive team stats, that’s the kind of day that can ruin a season’s worth of work.  So did it?

Nope.  Bama had a big enough lead in most categories that even Saturday’s slip-up didn’t knock the Tide down a peg in any of the main statistical areas. 


Scoring Defense
1.  Alabama — 8.4
2.  LSU — 10.0
3.  Penn State — 13.0

Rushing Defense
1.  Alabama — 74.6
2.  Georgia — 81.2
3.  Florida State — 84.3

Passing Defense
1.  Alabama — 121.3
2.  South Carolina — 137.5
3.  Wisconsin — 146.8

Total Defense
1.  Alabama — 195.9
2.  LSU — 247.9
3.  Michigan State — 257.3


Barring a huge offensive performance by Auburn in this weekend’s Iron Bowl, it appears as though Bama will match the Sooners’ feat from a quarter-century ago.

There will be a few passes from Alabama in this weekend’s Iron Bowl.  There may even be some Wildcat formation.  But Auburn’s Gene Chizik says he knows very well what Bama will be doing for most of the afternoon:


“They have about four running plays, and they are going to ask you to stop it.  And there’s not many that have. … It starts with the mentality.  I think it starts with your front four and your linebackers, and they have to decide how physical they want to be on Saturday.  That’s where it starts.”


Alabama leads the SEC in rushing.  They’ve already amassed 2,425 yards and 32 touchdowns rushing this year.  That’s good enough for a 220 yards-per-game average and a remarkable 5.54 yards-per-carry clip.

Auburn, on the other hand, ranks 10th in the SEC in rush defense.  The Tigers are giving up 193 yards-per-game on the ground and only Ole Miss has allowed more rushing TDs than Auburn’s 17 yielded.

Chizik’s right.  Expect a whole lotta running from Trent Richardson and the Tide on Saturday.

South Carolina 41 – Citadel 20

1. Gamecocks pull away in second half, look for 10th win next week against Clemson.

2. Alshon Jeffery makes a one-handed touchdown grab - will he back next year?

Georgia 19 – Kentucky 10

3. Bulldogs back in the SEC championship game for the first time since 2005.

4. SEC sack leader Jarvis Jones says he’s coming back next year.

5. Isaiah Crowell injures ankle - fifth different injury this year.

6. Mark Bradley: “Even after 11 games and nine victories, it’s hard to know just how good Georgia is.”

7. Kentucky quarterback Maxwell Smith sacked four times - sprains his right shoulder.

8. Wildcats bowl streak comes to an end.

Florida 54 – Furman 32

9. Gators rally from 22-7 deficit to become bowl eligible.

10. 240 yards and three touchdowns for Florida’s receiving corp.

11. Mike Bianchi: “Hopefully (Urban Meyer)  is telling the truth, because if he isn’t Gators fans and players should feel betrayed…”

Alabama 45 – Georgia Southern 21

12. Focus turns to the Iron Bowl.

13. Jon Solomon: “The Crimson Tide will be No. 2 in today’s BCS standings. All that non-stop speculation about an Alabama-LSU rematch isn’t a pipe dream. It’s extremely close to reality.”

14. How Trent Richardson and other Heisman candidates performed this weekend.

15. Richardson: ” I’m going to be here for a whole ‘nother year.”

Auburn 35 – Samford 16

16. 157 yards for Mike Dyer as Auburn moves to 7-4.

17. Struggling Tigers facing a potential blowout loss in the Iron Bowl.

18. Surviving “FCS Saturday” in the SEC.  Three Top 10 teams not as fortunate.

CBS and the SEC decided to announce something yesterday that we’ve all known since back in January — the TV listings for the Iron Bowl and the Battle for the Boot.

As expected, CBS will carry the Friday, November 25th matchup between LSU and Arkansas beginning at 2:30pm ET.  The game moves back to the Friday after Thanksgiving this year, after the Iron Bowl filled that slot in 2010 and 2009.  This year’s Battle for the Boot trophy will be played in Baton Rouge.

A day later, Alabama and Auburn’s November 26th battle will kickoff at 3:30pm ET live from Jordan-Hare Stadium on The Plains.

As the SEC expands, the one historic rivalry that more and more people are insisting must be kept is Alabama versus Tennessee.  If Auburn moves from the West Division to the East Division, the Tigers and Tide would no doubt protect their Iron Bowl clash as a permanent cross-divisional game.  Unless the league went back to protecting two cross-divisional opponents for each school, that could mean the end of The Third Saturday In October game between the Vols and Tide.

When Tennessee’s Derek Dooley was asked about that possibility, he made it clear that he’s no fan of the rush to realign the conferences:


“From a guy who grew up in the SEC, it’s a little disappointing to see all that’s happening in college football.  I think we’re tampering with something that has made college football so special, and that’s the fans, the traditions, the rivalries, and the ability to go to road games.  With your fanbase seeing the same teams every year, you develop a deep history that makes this game special, but nobody is really worries about what I think or what the other coaches think.

There is not much we can do about it, but I just hope we don’t end some of these traditions and rivalries, but I’m afraid if we keep going down this path, that is what’s going to happen.”


Dooley added that he hopes there is “a lot of dialogue on all these issues before we make decisions.”  That’s an interesting comment considering it’s no secret that Dooley and several other coaches weren’t particularly enamored with Mike Slive’s “agenda for change” push in July or the league’s June decision to put a soft-cap on signing classes… over the unanimous objection of the league’s coaches.

Former Auburn athletic director and sports information director David Housel believes it’s time to ratchet down some of the hate in the Iron Bowl rivalry.  (Who doesn’t?)

Speaking at a quarterback club in Montgomery yesterday, Housel made it clear that he’s no fan of accused tree-poisoner Harvey Updyke, but he also believes Auburn fans need to move on from the poisoning at Toomer’s Corner:

“Some Auburn fans, who pull for the school I love, are starting to come across as tree-worshipers.  We’ve been rolling that corner for years, way before we started rolling those trees.  Some of our fans just need to get over it and move on.  There’s much more to Auburn than two oak trees.”

Housel also believes that a classless act during last year’s Iron Bowl actually helped illuminate what’s right with the Iron Bowl rivalry:

“You know, ‘Son of a Preacher Man’ (played on the PA as a gig at Cam Newton) and all that.  But you know what?  The guy who did that was fired the next day.  I thought that was a fine statement made by the University of Alabama about what this rivalry can and should be about.  I thought Alabama showed real class there.  There’s no room for hate.  There’s room for competition, but there’s no room for hate.”

No room for hate?  Apparently Housel doesn’t listen to Paul Finebaum’s show very often.

We’ve been meaning to link this for you for two days now and we’ve gotten too caught up in news of the day to do so.  We’ll remedy that right now.

GQ magazine has written a lengthy story on the state of the Iron Bowl rivalry calling it “The Most Poisonous Rivalry in Sports.”  Get it?  Poison?  As in tree poison?

Check out the full article here.