The Big 12, as you once knew it, is long gone. Half of the membership from the original dozen teams vamoosed. The conference’s name itself might be the next to go.
What’s in a name? Money, in this case.
The Big 12 preserved its name even while it operated with 10 and later 14 teams. Now, that it’s back to a 12-team league, it is reportedly considering selling off the conference’s name to a corporate sponsor in a move that could generate millions in new annual revenue.
The Action Network reported that insurance giant Allstate is an interested potential sponsor, which could turn the Big 12 into the Allstate 12 Conference.
Expect the tradition-rich SEC to be more hesitant to go down this path. Even as the SEC expanded from 10 to 12 to 14 and now 16 teams, the conference carefully selected new schools that meshed with the conference’s fabric and fit into the league’s geography and culture. The SEC is a powerful, lucrative brand with a carefully crafted identity.
Mention the SEC to a passerby on the street, and more people would think Southeastern Conference than they would Securities and Exchange Commission.
Subscribe to SEC Football Unfiltered
iTunes | Google Play | Spotify
The SEC enjoys a position of financial strength. It doesn’t need to sell its name.
But, the Big 12’s news got my creative wheel turning, and I mused: If the SEC considered selling its name to a sponsor, what are possibilities?
TOPPMEYER: How the SEC gutted Big 12, Oklahoma to Texas
ALLSTATE CONFERENCE?: When P. T. Barnum (excuse me, Brett Yormark) comes to college sports, bring on circus
Let’s have some fun, shall we, with these far-fetched ideas.
Waffle House Conference
This one is too easy. If you created a Venn Diagram of SEC football fans and Waffle House enthusiasts, it would just look like two circles placed on top of one another. So, I give…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/imagining-sec-name-change-possibilities-100238994.html
Author : The Tennessean
Publish date : 2024-06-16 10:02:38
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
