[Mick]

I know the article mentioned a few SEC coaches who thought the early signing period was a good idea, but really, if you are the SEC, why change anything?  Your teams have been pulling in top recruiting classes year after year, your top teams are basically football factories where academics take a back seat to athleticism, why rock the boat?


What would REALLY cause trouble for SEC teams is the NFL establishing a minor league where athletes who have no interest in college could go straight from HS for a few years to hone their skills.  Now THAT would truly be ground-shaking for the SEC

That would imply that academics and athletics are in the same vehicle... :P
Your other point is very well taken.  But well-dressed SEC alums won't show up at a minor league football game and spend a boatload of money, because they can't pretend the players attended their alma mater and have the same academic accomplishments across the board.

[Mick]

I know the article mentioned a few SEC coaches who thought the early signing period was a good idea, but really, if you are the SEC, why change anything?  Your teams have been pulling in top recruiting classes year after year, your top teams are basically football factories where academics take a back seat to athleticism, why rock the boat?


What would REALLY cause trouble for SEC teams is the NFL establishing a minor league where athletes who have no interest in college could go straight from HS for a few years to hone their skills.  Now THAT would truly be ground-shaking for the SEC

That would imply that academics and athletics are in the same vehicle... :P
Your other point is very well taken.  But well-dressed SEC alums won't show up at a minor league football game and spend a boatload of money, because they can't pretend the players attended their alma mater and have the same academic accomplishments across the board.