Gator Country

Florida coach Will Muschamp decreased the SEC's collective coaching salary numbers when he was hired in 2010, but those figures should change if the Gators continue to find success on the field. / Gator Country photo by Wes Hall

Having discussed some of the things that are not primary drivers of the SEC’s recent six-year run (and counting) of national dominance in college football, it’s time to look at the major factors that I believe are to credit for the rise to this unprecedented level of rule over the sport. If I were to boil it down to one word, I would say it was “commitment” that has separated the league. However, that stops far short of explaining the success gap between the leagues, because all schools and all conferences have a commitment to excellence and a commitment to success — and there is probably no difference in the level of personal strength and intentions behind them.

What distinguishes the SEC from the rest of the leagues are the things in which they invest that commitment, and both the wisdom and the resolve with which they do it. As I looked at the SEC over the last couple of years trying to identify the programmatic elements that distinguish the conference from the other BCS conferences and elevate them on the national stage, four main areas of commitment stood out. I list them here in ascending order of importance, but there will be little drama in the reveal of the most important one, since it is fundamentally integral to the two preceding factors, and largely facilitated by the third.

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