TO: SEC Commissioner Mike Slive, SEC Presidents and Athletic Directors
FR: Alan
RE: revenue opportunity
cc: Myles Brand, NCAA

The quest for college football supremacy has entered a new phase—the economic battleground. The SEC has done an outstanding job capitalizing on its new television contract. The dollars improve SEC programs. The exposure into new national markets makes the conference even more appealing. The SEC’s new online operation is another sign of the conference’s forward thinking.

Revenue is the lifeblood of college athletics. To maximize every dollar available, schools like Alabama and Auburn have crafted innovative policies to drain every ounce of revenue out of fans, and punish entrepreneurs like artist Daniel Moore. It is clear the SEC and its members know the dollar is the most important thing.

But there is one area of untapped revenue—SEC Media Days.

Right now, SEC Media Days is an event for the media elite. Fans are kept out of the sanctum sanctorum (upstairs at the Wynfrey), and must jostle for position to snag the best football player and coach autographs. Is this really the best model? All you get are “elite” media members bitching about the mass of people. This just isn’t getting the job done.

Who really needs to be there? Certainly, CBS and ESPN have earned (bought) the right to be there. But the rest of the media? Please.

The SEC should charge these minor players like the dinosaurs of the print media for access. And while charging, why not charge admission for fans too. You could bill SEC Kickoff as a major event. Sell tickets, have a big party. You could fill the BJCC, or maybe Larry Langford’s new domed stadium. It might even grow enough to move it out of Birmingham (just like the SEC football championship and basketball tournament!) How much could the SEC earn from a filled Georgia Dome? Speaking of, how much could the SEC extract from ESPN to cover this event? Forget free—people will pay and sponsors will pony up for this!

With these tough economic times, it is important to exploit every advantage possible. Let’s put the other conferences out of business by opening yet a new theater in the economic war.

Best wishes,
Alan

6 thoughts on “Memo to the SEC: how to earn even more money”

  1. Is this a Michigan or USC writer? What is your beef with the new SEC TV contract. The SEC deserves it, 5-0 baby in the big game against other divisions.

  2. Hate…..He was applauding the SEC for their shrewdness, but insulting the way media days is structured……I agree cap.

    All your basic fan gets every year out of media days is goofy stories and a little controversey (i.e. is Tebow a virgin) , no real substance…Imagine if they had it at a large open to the public venue (hoover met?) and invited all the fans to rub elbow not only with their team , but every other team , along with their coaches. How cool would that be ? Screw the media…Just call it SEC days.

  3. I was also throwing a few stones at UA and AU for the greed in those programs. But yes, my main target was how pathetic the media has become. And it isn’t so much the stories, or the virgin question. I just get sick of hearing all the media people moan about fans.

    If it weren’t for fans, who would buy papers, watch sports shows, listen to sports radio or visit a sports website?

  4. The People are a “great beast”……

    As far as Clay Travis and his virgin question, he is an idiot. Everyone knows that Tim Tebow is not a virgin. After all, he publicly made Marquis Johnson his ….. during the 2nd half of the SEC championship. If we had a 3rd corner last year, we’d been National Champions.

    Speaking of 3rd corner, where’s the smoking gun on all that mess that the Aubs claim that Dre Kirkpatrick received illegally? I mean, if they really had any hard evidence, and sent it in to the NCAA, where is the PLOI???? Instead of a smoking gun, looks like that was just another bag of burning dog feces.

    Hope you don’t mind Aubs but we’ll be throwing that turd back on your lawn.

  5. alexfhamilton……….Its been a whopping 5 or 6 months since he got the car….Not that the car was illegally gained…But if it were illegally gained, Do you honostly think that it would take 5 or 6 months to have an investigation ? Again, not saying that the car is illegal. But also not saying it isnt. Time will tell.

  6. You goofed Alan.
    You were supposed to sell them this information at a major profit. Then eveeryone could have mad a few bucks…Now the SEC will STILL BE MAKING ALL THE MONEY!

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